A High-Backed Seat
by Philip Harkin
Summary: What happens when a God dies? What happens when you are chosen to be his heir? Ichigo never thought to ask these questions, but with the revelation that he has been chosen to be the new Spirit King he is wishing that he had. As time runs out and the pressure on him mounts, threats close to the throne and creation itself dying forces him to learn what it is to fill a God's Throne.
1. Chapter 1

"Say again, old man?" Ichigo gawked with an expression rooted between fear, shock, and disbelief.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, known for his composure in times of stress and hardship, sighed. He rubbed his forehead with gnarled fingers, and stared at the letter (more of a scroll in truth) bearing the long broken seal sitting on his desk.

"Read the letter yourself. It says what I've been told, and I know nothing more."

In a rare act of humility, the Captain Commander, Head of the Gotei 13, bowed to the orange-scalped boy that he, at one point, perhaps had believed to be beneath him, and retreated from his desk. Said boy picked up the scroll, and began to read.

 _Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Captain of the 1st Division of Gotei 13, Captain Commander of Gotei 13, Protector of the King's Key, and Dean of the Shinigami Training Academy -_

 _My Friend, it has been a long time, has it not? I'm afraid that my avowed lack of interference with Soul Society and the Seireitei has also prevented me from being able to visit you. In some aspects I regret that you never used the King's Key to visit yourself, but it is understandable - you always did value your duty over your life, and I gave you said duty._

 _Unfortunately, we shall never meet and share tea again. My time as Spirit King has passed - my time as the lynchpin of existence has fled. I have known of this date for aeons. I write this to you as I sit in the Meditation Room, and await my release._

 _Do not fret Genryūsai, my death has not signaled the end of all, but merely the end of an era. I shall have a successor, an heir. My heir, at time of writing is not yet born, but he will be. Know this, old friend, he will shake the foundations of your world before he even steps foot inside the King's Realm. You will know him when he comes. He will be like no other, and shall usher in a different royalty, a different life and a different Kingship. For the better or worse? My precognition fails me. My spirit fades._

 _I must be brief, I am nearing oblivion - you must find him. You must aid him. He will be given his rightful throne upon entry into the Kingdom, but he will face challenges I cannot predict along the way. At one point, he will attain his inheritance - sometime nearing his 18th birthday I believe - and he will grow stronger - as strong as the position of a God requires - but he will change, and he will be scared. Please, as my last request, not as King, but as your friend, help him._

 _This is it. Remember the good times Genryūsai. They live on only in your memory now._

 _And don't forget to drink some tea with my heir for your old friend's memory._

 _Goodb_

Ichigo stood there, mouth agape, the holy scroll all but slipping out of his hand. He knew what this meant. Coupled with Yamamoto's politeness, bowing, almost deference, he _knew_.

Yamamoto, having previously retreated to allow Ichigo to read the scroll in solitude, returned.

"His death is the reason the realms have been so unstable. Why you were so easily able to invade Seireitei - ignoring, of course, your personal power - and why Aizen's plans have managed to go so far. The empty throne is leading to the collapse of creation. But," he gestured towards the scroll, "he knew that you would come."

"Are you sure," Ichigo's voice trembled, "that he meant me? I'm not even a full shinigami. I've barely managed my father's clinic for a day while he was away, let alone the entirety of existence! I'm not fit for this for God's sake, I mean, how -" He was interrupted by Yamamoto gripping his shoulder in a show of support, and a plea to stop panicking.

"My boy, you are his heir - no one has shaken Soul Society as much as you - save, perhaps, for Aizen." The mention of the now-deceased traitor sobered Ichigo immediately. "And, my boy, you forget that there is no one - perhaps not even I - who could best you as you are now, let alone when you come into your full inheritance. I have no doubt my boy, and neither should you.

"You will be the Spirit King."

* * *

Four weeks had passed, and neither Rukia nor Renji had seen hide or hair of Ichigo, and despite the fact that Renji would never willingly admit it, he was starting to worry. It wasn't uncommon for Ichigo to disappear for some time, and he'd been gone for longer when in the Living World, but for him to disappear for so long when in Soul Society? They were probably his closest friends in the Seireitei,

They'd even tried following Ichigo's usually obtuse spiritual pressure, but all traces of it were only in places that Ichigo had spent a long time in - the 13th Division barracks, various training grounds, his own room in 4th Division - and strangely, a large concentration of it was at the 1st Division barracks, but he wasn't there either. He'd just disappeared.

"Where could he have gone?" The joking had bled out of Rukia's voice by the end of the second week. The fear crept in by the start of the fourth. "God, he gets himself into trouble all the time - what if he's fighting someone right now? Some remnant of Aizen's army?" Renji watched as she bit at her nails, small cracks reaching his ears as the nails gave way. They paced across the 13th Division courtyard.

"Alright, I'm sure he's fine. He's probably managed to lose himself in Rukongai - that idiot would do something as asinine as that."

"Then we would have felt his reiatsu like a beacon, and we haven't felt anythi-"

"Who're you calling asinine, Sonic?" The two stood, open mouthed, gaping at the boy in front of them. Rukia kicked him, hard.

"You stupid bastard-"

"Ow! Jesus, midget, talk about overreaction-"

"Overreaction? You absolute-"

"Ow! Goddamnit, alright! You aren't a friggin' midget-"

"You disappeared for four weeks! We were terrified about you!"

"Jeez, that hurt like hell-"

" **Are you even listening?** " The two fell silent. Ichigo stood straight, and sighed. His eyes dropped to the floor.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you worry, not at all, and it wasn't as though I wanted to avoid you, but I kind of had to." He scowled - harder than usual - and scratched the back of his head. "Old Man Yama told me specifically."

"Had to? You didn't have to- wait Captain Yamamoto?" Her violet eyes cooled from fiery rage to curiosity. "What are you doing with him?"

Ichigo opened his mouth, shut it quickly, and bit his cheek. "Well, something's happened that's caused me to get strong. Like, really strong. He's been helping me control my reiatsu, and we've been doing some other stuff too." The news that Ichigo was strong came to no surprise to the either of the older Shinigami. What did surprise them was that Ichigo seemed to be getting personal training from Yamamoto himself, something almost none had received.

"Other stuff, huh, Berry boy? What like, Introduction to Tea, 101?" Renji's eyebrows quirked, the tattoos on his forehead shifting into an arch.

"Well...he'sbeenteachingmehistoryanddecorumandstuff." Silence.

"Say again Ichigo?"

"Goddamnit, History and Decorum and stuff. Noble families, calligraphy. And yeah, tea." A beat of silence.

"So you've sat with Yamamoto, and made tea?"

"Yeah."

"You're learning the traditional tea ceremonies?"

"Yup." Another beat.

Then the two burst into gales of laughter, echoing off of the walls of the courtyard. "All right, yeah, hilarious. Quiet down, will ya?" Ichigo dropped to the grass, leaning back with his legs stretched. Zangestu laid parallel to him.

"Ohmygod, that's, hic, fuckin' hilarious! You and Yamamoto, and just, just...tea!" Renji dropped to his knees, hands going to the ground for support. Rukia collapsed beside the two of them, laughing so hard that she was silent, only letting out the occasional squeal or squeak when she'd finally caught her breath.

Ten minutes later, they were still quietly giggling. "It's just insane. Ichigo, you don't do decorum, or tea. I don't even know why you'd be interested in the history of Soul Society."

"It's all tied in with this thing with my reiatsu."

"Speaking of which, Yamamoto must be a brilliant teacher, if he could teach even you how to properly contain your spiritual pressure." The conversation was, thankfully, going the way Ichigo had hoped - they didn't seem too concerned with the reason behind the reiatsu increase - but he knew that if they felt it, they'd want to know immediately.

"He is. He's actually quite...alright in lessons as well. I think that he's the person to treat his pupils like sons. Care for them. Half of the time we spend with tea," they sniggered, "we just talk. About how he's doing, how I'm doing." He smiled, a warm smile that even lessened the frown in his brow. "Yeah. He's alright sometimes."

And just then, Ichigo and Renji locked eyes.

Unnoticed to the two lieutenants, Ichigo had been avoiding making eye contact the entire time. But it was just a split second, where Renji had shot him a look of disbelief. And they locked eyes.

Renji couldn't breathe. It felt like a building was on top of him - crushing him. He dropped onto his back, hands whipping to his throat and chest.

"Holy shit, Renji you alright?"

"Renji? What's wrong? Oh, fuck, he can't breathe."

The two fawned over their fallen comrade who was currently gasping air through his teeth. A few minutes passed, and Renji's face went back to its original color.

"Berry...you weren't lying...you really have...had a reiatsu boost...neh?" Renji wheezed. He was smiling, but the appraisal in his eyes really probed Ichigo.

"Yeah...this is why I've not come to find you for the last four weeks. Yamamoto trained with me until I could control my reiatsu, just so I wouldn't be doing this to everyone everywhere I went." His face twisted, scowl deepening, brow drawing even tighter. Averted eyes darkened and shadowed, flicking to the floor.

"Naw man, don't be ashamed...This is incredible. It just means I've gotta train some more, so you can't crush me...like that." He chuckled softly, wheeze abating.

Rukia jumped in. "Renji's right - you mustn't ever become ashamed of your strength. He fact that it's too much for us means that we've not done enough to get stronger ourselves." She smiled, clasping Ichigo's shoulder.

"After all, you may have gotten stronger Ichigo..." Renji and Rukia shared a glance.

"...but we don't have to deal with any tea ceremonies!"

Ichigo felt a vein pop as they rolled back into laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been two months since Ichigo had been informed that he was to be the strongest and most powerful being in existence - no big deal - and to the shock and delight of Yamamoto, he had been faring well, learned about the role of the Spirit King in the universe and kept his ego and exponentially growing spirit pressure in check - save for one recent incident involving Byakuya and a shattered hairclip. That ended up with Yamamoto receiving an official complaint about the boy.

Today, however, was going to be an unpleasant one.

"It said nothing about this, old man!" Ichigo angrily gestured towards the scroll at the far end of Yamamoto's desk.

"My boy," he rumbled, trying to build a rapport with the enraged fledgling God, "it was to be expected. The scroll did not state this, you are correct, but you are merely coming into your inheritance." Ichigo was not impressed. Hearing the same line repeated time and time again - by his last count, 12 times in the short 5 minute conversation that they had been having - tended to get on one's nerves after a while, and he wasn't in the best of moods as it was. He looked at the mirror that he had brought to illustrate his point, saw a glimpse of his appearance, and flinched.

"I look like if my Zanpakuto and my Hollow had a kid!"

It was true. As Yamamoto watched Ichigo, he no longer saw the ryoka that had taken Seireitei by storm. The entirety of him had changed - at least physically. Amber eyes no longer looked back - instead, Imperial Purple ones swirling in power and drowned in black sclera followed the older shinigami like a hawk. If Yamamoto had ever met Tensa Zangetsu, he would have noted that the drastic change to Ichigo's facial and body structure mirrored his Zanpakuto to a fault - except that his skin was an asbestos white.

The only thing that remained of his original appearance at this point wasn't even his trademark hairstyle, now bleached to a pure white and grown down to his shoulders, but his scowl, which was getting deeper and deeper by the second, as white hands clenched tightly, blackened nails digging in to the flesh.

"My boy, you realize that this is just the physical manifestation of your ascension, yes? You are becoming a God, the God, one that all spirits and forms of being are born of. This is you exhibiting that. The fact that you resemble your inner spirits does not surprise me - they constitute reflections of your soul. I must assume that you are simply losing the resemblance to your human body, and gaining one based on your soul, due to your soul's strength eclipsing that of your physical body's." He paused, stroking his long beard. "The Old King's appearance was very similar to your current one."

"You told me." The curt reply was not out of anger, but of exasperation, and an element of fear. Turning around, he faced the door with a twisted expression. "I just wish I had never become his Heir. I can't look my friends in the eye, because my spirit pressure could kill them, and now I can't even look in the mirror to see who I am."

A small flare of power accentuated his statement, and the wood of Yamamoto's staff splintered and shattered, revealing the katana hidden within.

Silence reigned in the room.

"Uh... Sorry old man."

"Hmpf."

* * *

After Ichigo had left, the Captain Commander reminisced on Ichigo, and how their first session went.

 _"Listen boy, you may be the Heir to the King, but while I am teaching you, I will be afforded respect." The old man's frown was heavy as he tried to marshal interest in the subject through one of his favorite tried and true methods - force. Unfortunately, it did not seem to be working._

 _"Bite me old man. This is ridiculous, I know about the Gotei 13, Central 46, all of that. I don't need these lessons."_

 _"Oh really? And do you know about the Agreement of Concordance, 1453, ratified by the Spirit King himself in his final act of interference in Soul Society, before he enacted self-exile to his Realm? Did you know that it was this treaty that allowed Central 46 authority over all newly interred souls, as long as the basic intent of their commands fell in line with Soul Society's laws and decrees of the time?"_

 _The blank look on the orange haired boy told him a solid no._

 _"And I'll assume that you didn't know about the Agreement of Acquisition in 1612, allowing Central 46 to change Soul Society's laws and decrees? Or the fact that, in conjunction, these treaties gave Central 46 total administrative and executive authority over almost every soul in Soul Society, while acting in the absence of the Spirit King?"_

 _Ichigo's previously blank expression had morphed into one of disinterest._

 _"Old man, why do I need to learn about this? I'm not trying to be rude, but if there is something politically tricky, couldn't I just get rid of it? I am meant to be a God after all." Yamamoto saw the buried worry in his eyes, the worry that, despite the nonchalant tone he had used when speaking of using his power, glinted even brighter with his words._

 _"But you wouldn't - you are afraid of losing yourself to the power and to the authority of being a God. Besides, as Spirit King, you are the ultimate authority and power, yes, but a good King allows decisions to be made by their subjects, and do not disregard them as unimportant. To be a good King you will need to ensure that the people you rule are still free to make their own choices, and these pieces of legislation are some of the most important in that regard._

 _"Besides..." Changing tactics for how to interact with the young man, he then shared a sly smirk,"...I think you would get bored with every single soul coming to you for the issue of their pigs being stolen, or their phones broken by a neighbor. There is a reason the Old King allowed the Gotei 13 and Central 46 to, in some regards, lessen his power - Delegation." Ichigo's eyes widened in understanding._

 _The rest of the lesson went without interruption._

* * *

While Yamamoto swam in his reverie, Ichigo hunted to find Rukia. Her reiatsu was close to Byakuya's - no surprise - and a suspicious void. Thinking back on what Yamamoto had said, she must have been with Renji as he tried to conceal his reiatsu. With a roll of the eyes, he Shunpo'd to her, intending to watch them from a distance.

Reaching the Kuchiki Manor - why would Byakuya let Renji train there? - he quietly slipped into the back of the courtyard, where the three had congregated.

"Wow Renji. Didn't know you could be so bad at something. This is spectacular, I'v never met anyone who could broadcast their reiatsu so much."

"..."

Byakuya nodded in approval. "Good. You are not letting exterior distractions impede on your focus."

"He doesn't need distractions - he sucks at this all by himself." Renji began to sweat, grinding his teeth together. "Oh look, ickle baby is struggling." Rukia's voice was filled with amusement, but behind Renji's closed eyes she hid a supportive smile. "Maybe ickle baby needs his diaper changed before-"

"Oh, piss off Rukia." Renji's reiatsu swamped the courtyard. "Crap, and it was going so well."

"Hm. We will continue this tomorrow." Byakuya retreated back into the large compound.

Waiting until he saw Byakuya disappear, Ichigo walked out from the shade. "Hey guys. What's the walking canvas doing now?"

Both heads whipped to him. Rukia was quickest to react. "Idiot, you almost gave me a heart attack - I was about to go for my- Ichigo? You look...different...?" The two regarded him strangely, uncomfortably.

"Yeah, it's me. It's that thing, you know, the..." he gestured towards himself, gently flaring his spirit pressure, "...thing with my reiatsu lately. It's made me look like this."

The two relaxed, comforted that the core of their friend was still there - just the usual physical attributes had changed.

"So...white huh?" Renji was rewarded with a smack by Rukia.

"Yeah. My eyes are quite funky too." The two noticed how he wasn't meeting their eyes - the memory of the last time he did rang out, silent and unspoken, but clear as day.

The conversation was slow to begin, centered around the awkwardness of Ichigo's transformation as it was, but slowly thawed.

"And then, that's when I said, 'You shouldn't run your mouth kid,' and punched him, smack! Right across the jaw." The red-haired shinigami leant back, chuckling. "Went out cold."

"Of course you would punch the guy, he's only, what? A quarter of your strength?"

"Oi, Berry boy! If you'd heard the shit he said, whooee! You'd have probably stabbed his ass. I was restrained in my punch." He poked his own chest in pride.

Rukia scoffed. "You don't work well with other's Renji, we get it, no need to keep saying it. And when have you ever been restrained?"

"Hey, that's-!"

"I personally thought that restrained was quite a big word for him." Renji's face reddened - matching his hair.

"Hey! Midget and-" He promptly doubled over in pain.

"Don't call me 'midget,' idiot, else I'll kick in your more personal parts next time!"

They were quiet, Renji nursing his aching and winded stomach, and Ichigo in a small dose of fear of the small Raven-Haired girl in front of him. And yet, despite the constant bickering, Ichigo felt the happiest he had been for a long while.

* * *

 **A.N - Please follow and favorite, but most importantly, review. I need to know what you think, how I can improve, or else I can never fix the problems you may see in my writing.**

 **Also, this is un-beta'd, just me and MS Word, so any mistakes are my lwn, and my own alone. Also, my Word is American, but I am British, so there may be some inconsistencies in the spelling of words - some may be Americanised, some may not. Also, screw doc-manager on IOS, this shit is sensitive as hell.**


	3. Chapter 3

_No one knows for certain how the original Spirit King came to be, but legends and myths abounded. One such myth held belief that the Spirit King was a being that lived in another existence, until he grew so powerful that he destroyed it, and became a God. Another stated that the Spirit King was not really a physical entity, like a soul or person, but a force, like time or Rangiku drunk._

 _What is known is that he was the reason the universe as a whole came to be. It is also commonly known that he had three sons, each embodying a part of their father and resembling him in a physical manner, that were the three original types of spirit in their turn._

 _Erudā was the son that embodied the Spirit King's level-headedness, pride and sense of duty - but also his immorality and stubbornness. He was known to be the first Shinigami._

 _Seijin was the son that embodied the Spirit King's ruthlessness, destructiveness and cunning - but also his intellect and strength of self. He was known to be the first Quincy._

 _The final son's name was lost to history. Reviled by his brothers, but adored by the King as he was one element the King could not predict, he embodied the King's insanity, bloodlust and his brutality, but also his humility, kindness and courage. He was the first ordinary human soul._

 _The third son was also transformed into the final pure type of soul - the first Hollow - in a tale known as the Fable of Betrayal, a story regarded as a black page in the books of history, and as such a secret known only to a select few._

 _Erudā and Seijin were jealous of the love the King had for his third son, but while this jealousy was, in the brothers' infancy, a small annoyance, as they grew older the annoyance bloomed into anger, and the anger stagnated into hate._

 _The King did not ignore or treat Erudā and Seijin with less affection than the third brother, but instead showed the third brother things the others were not privy to. The King's intent, perhaps, was to have the third brother eventually replace him as the next Spirit King. But this made the other brothers grow angrier still._

 _Since the two brothers couldn't attack their brother directly - their father would know immediately - they conspired to attack him in some other way._

 _While the brothers had been sent out into the physical world to populate it with their types of souls, they had each taken a wife from a soul they had created. It was a well known fact that the third brother adored his wife, and so the plan began to form._

 _Erudā and Seijin followed the wife while she was walking with one of her children. As the child ran off ahead of the mother, excited about one thing or another, the brothers came up behind the wife and slit her throat. The ran back, intent on disappearing before anyone could spot them._

 _The child turned around, intent on calling his mother, and noticed two figures resembling his uncles rounding a corner in the distance, while the child's mother lay in a heap on the rapidly reddening ground._

 _The third brother was told of the murder by the child through sobs and whines. He flew into a rage, leaving his home and children. He first found Erudā. The rage and anguish felt by the third was so great that his heart died - leaving a hole. Erudā was torn apart - literally - by a pale skinned, yellowed eyed demon that resembled his brother - thus, the first Hollow was born._

 _Seijin was hunted for years - the first Hollow chased him down across a decade. As Seijin fled, the Hollow carved a path of destruction and chaos - killing and turning ordinary souls into ones like him. Seijin crafted a bow and single arrow - one of the strongest in existence - and clutched by a fear that tore into him, he loosed it into what was once his brother. The brother collapsed - dissipating. The bow's strength was such that his very soul was unraveling._

 _The King, previously in deep meditation, was awoken by disturbance in the souls of the world. He materialized to find his most beloved son transformed into a demon - a monster - and dying on the dusty floor, while his second son clutched the weapon that had ended said demon's life. Due to the strength of the bow, the King could only watch as the son he had intended to take his place once his time had come was eradicated in totality._

* * *

"And that is the tale - the most important thing that you will ever learn from me." Yamamoto sipped his tea, the steam warming his eyebrows.

Ichigo's eyebrows were rooted firmly in his hairline. "Old man. That is insane."

The elder's moustache twitched in amusement. "Of course it is, my boy. But, that doesn't make it any less of the truth now, does it? Besides, the tale as I now know it has probably changed immensely through the years. The core of the story is most likely true, but the rest - well, by now, it's merely legend. A highly secretive and important legend, but all legends get deformed as time passes." He watched as the look of disbelief dropped, and as Ichigo himself took a sip of his now cool tea.

"I suppose. Anyway," he groused, "why is your tea still warm? Mine's freezing after that story."

"Fire type Zanpakuto have their uses." His smile widened slightly. "How are you lately anyway my boy? I haven't had a good chance to talk with you for a while."

It was true events had conspired between them to keep them from their usual twice-a-week schedule - Ichigo had combated with issues within himself, and between his friends, while Yamamoto grappled with issues surrounding the inevitable visit by the Royal Guard, both to verify Ichigo's claim to the throne and escort him to the King's Realm. In fact, most of Yamamoto's time was spent centered around the boy across the table from him as of late.

Said boy sighed. "Well, to be honest Yamamoto, I'm worried." His face became very long. "Renji, despite the fact that he had reassured me that he wouldn't lose me as a friend because of," he waved at his body, "what I've become, he's just fallen off of the face of the Earth, he's disappeared. Every time I did see him, he seemed to rush away, citing 'Byakuya is busting my balls Berry - talk to you later' or something similar." He took note of Yamamoto's concerned gaze. "I know he's avoiding me, but I don't know why."

Yamamoto seemed to collect his thoughts for a time. The thick blanket of silence in the office was broken only by the occasional sipping from its inhabitants.

"Well...my boy, have you tried to find him alone and confront him?"

Ichigo scoffed, "Yeah, of course I've tried. But despite the fact that I can sense every single soul in Rukongai, I can't find him at all. It's like looking for nothing." The tirade ended in a growl.

"Hmm. Looking for nothing, indeed. My boy, I know why you cannot find Lieutenant Abarai - he has been taking lessons with Byakuya, that is true. I believe that Captain Kuchiki has instructed him on how to completely cloak his spirit pressure. To find him, you mustn't look for his spirit pressure, but the void where his should be. Follow that, it will lead you to him with ease."

A small sip. "Nonetheless, I do not believe Lieutenant Abarai is deliberately trying to avoid you - at least, not in any way in which you should be worried. Perhaps he is challenging himself - if you cannot find him, then his control of his spirit pressure must be good. It may be that he is merely using you to train, just in a less orthodox way."

"Hm. Maybe that's right. It's not like Renji wouldn't tell me if he was trying to avoid me - he'd probably run his mouth for an hour, telling me to leaving him alone. Cheers gramps." The small smile that Ichigo had shot the elder was one usually reserved for his closest friends and family - he had to wonder if Yamamoto was beginning to feel like a part of the latter. "Anyway, enough about my woes, how's things in your neck of the woods?"

"Oh, my boy." Total exhaustion seemed to befall the Captain-Commander. "It has been a nightmare. I am an old man, Ichigo, I've known that for years. And perhaps in my old age I have weakened. I still feel strong, and perhaps am still the strongest Shinigami, but when Lieutenant Yachiru invades my offices..." He shuddered. "...I never feel more old and feeble."

Ichigo chuckled. "That bad?"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in." Soi Fon walked into the room, bowed once towards the Captain Commander, began to speak, then noticed Ichigo's presence and practically groveled.

"My King, I am honoured by your presence." Her voice trembled. Ichigo was stunned - here was the single most hard-line of all the Captains, one who tolerated almost nothing of Ichigo, literally on her hands and knees bowing to him, and worst of all, she wasn't even meant to know!

"Err, well, not King yet Soi Fon." A few seconds passed, and she still remained bowed. "Um, are you okay? You haven't gotten back up."

"My King, I can only remain in this position until your command otherwise."

As of then silent, Yamamoto whispered "She's a noble my boy, you'll have to tell her she has the freedom to get back on her feet."

Ichigo quickly whispered back, "She knows? I thought we were keeping this quiet! Who else knows?"

"Only I, Soi Fon and Unohana - Soi Fon, as she had guessed entirely herself and I merely confirmed it, and Unohana because she remembers meeting the Old King - your appearance now would tip her off immediately. Now, my boy." He nodded towards the still bowed captain.

The entire situation was bizarre. "Okay, you may stand..?" Almost immediately, she sprung to her feet, poised at attention.

"Thank you my boy. Now, Captain Fon, report."

"Yessir. There are three people on Sokyoku Hill asking for you...and the King. Their reiatsu is immense." She spoke in hushed tones, quickly bowed and left.

"Well, old man. You said they'd be coming."

"Yes. But, to be honest, I didn't expect them so soon."

"Not much that can be done about it now, eh?" He stood. "Well, got to meet them at some point, eh?"

* * *

 **A.N - There appears to have been some confusion about the last chapter - to clarify, Hichigo has not had a child, Ichigo was making a statement saying that he now looks like a fusion of Tensa Zangetsu and Hichigo. I apologise if that wasn't clear, but trying to write colloquialized speech can make things confusing at times.**

 **And yes, this is AU, years after Aizen's defeat, only Ichigo doesn't lose his power. The 1000 Year Blood War isn't going to happen, no Yhwach or Wandenreich here.**

 **Right, don't forget to review. Your kind words keep me warm at night. As does your hate. It feeds me.**


	4. Chapter 4

"My King." The three dropped to their knees in submission. Ichigo appraised each of them, and noticed that none of them seemed to wear a traditional uniform - instead of the Black Kimono and White Undergarments of the traditional Shinigami, they all seemed to wear a variation of a Samurai's uniform. The main armor was a pure white, while the garments underneath were a sky blue. While none of them seemed to wear a helm or form of head protection, Ichigo noticed as he approached that they all wore golden masks with a blank facial expression, before they removed it immediately upon noticing him.

"Please, this is all weird enough as it is. You don't have to bow to me. I'm not even the King yet." With his exasperated sigh, they all stood, and inclined their heads towards the accompanying Yamamoto.

"It is an honor, Captain Commander." The middle, and seemingly the leader said.

"Likewise." The Captain Commander's voice was polite, but held the gruff edge of importance that one could only truly use as the Soutaichou. While the small exchange occurred, the ex-berry noticed the physical attributes of the collected three in front of him.

The one on the left appeared to be a middle-aged, somewhat paunchy man, with salt and pepper hair close cropped to his head. His face held lines of exhaustion buried deep within, and his watery blue eyes appeared to focus in and out at random intervals. Despite his seemingly unimpressive first impression, upon closer inspection Ichigo could clearly see muscles rippling beneath the round exterior, and the dangerous edge to his stance that betrayed the power hidden within.

The one in the middle, the leader, was an elderly woman, with steel grey hair that was tied back into a ponytail. Her strict facial expression and predatory glare reminded him of one of his old teachers. As her eyes roamed from Yamamoto to Ichigo, her countenance changed entirely - despite only small changes to her posture and facial expression, her previously hard expression softened into one of almost grandmotherly care, while her eyes morphed from vicious to - was that hope?

The final member of the trio was a young man - in his late teenage years most likely - who seemed to be awestruck. He couldn't meet either Yamamoto or Ichigo's eyes, and frequently coughed in nervousness. Dirty blonde hair hung low over a brow beaded with sweat, and his square face was drawn tight in anxiety, but the most striking feature of the young man was a black eye patch that covered his right eye, and an angry red scar that ran from his hairline, through the eye covered by the patch, through his mouth and across his chin.

The elderly woman stepped forward. "My Lord, we are three members of the Tengoku gādo-tai - Heaven Guard Corps, or the Royal Guard. Our main purpose is to ensure the protection of the King, Royal Family and the King's Realm. I am Chiyoko Fujioka, Commander of the Royal Guard. This," she gestured to the young man, "is Akio Himura, Chief Liaison and Messenger. And this," gesturing to the last member of the group, "is Katsuo Inoue of House Inoue, Head of Recruit Training." All three quickly bowed once again at the conclusion of the introductions.

The final name struck a chord. Inoue? As in, Orihime? He turned to Katsuo.

"Inoue? Are you related to anyone called Orihime Inoue?"

The man frowned, and his fogged eyes focused and cleared to a piercing blue. "No my Lord, I'm afraid not. Is she of any relation, however, to a Sora Inoue?" Ichigo nodded, and in response Katsuo's eyes widened in surprise. "Astounding. It appears I may have..." He softly shook his head, and dropped his eyes. "I apologize my Lord. If I may, I would prefer to discuss and address the matter with you at a later point."

"Of course." Ichigo's voice came out almost strangled by strangeness of the situation. "I suppose we'd better move on to why you're here."

Chiyoko brightened immediately. "Yes my Lord. If we may, I'd like to recommend that this discussion is taken inside. It may go on for some time. It perhaps would be prudent," her voice steeled, her face drew cold and her gaze shot back towards Yamamoto, "to use the Captain Commander's office - if, that is, he does not object?" The thinly-veiled challenge hung in the air.

Yamamoto's voice was similarly cutting. "Why, I would be honoured to house a discussion between my future King and his...protection detail."

The air grew colder.

* * *

The clockwork whirred, span, and interlocked within cogs that span in their own turn. The clock struck 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The tea cooled. Five figures sat, occasionally nursing and sipping from their own drink, before setting down again and letting silence drape them once again. Two occupants spent much of the silent time sending sharp glares at one another.

"So...what are you here for?" The simple question seemed to thaw the room.

"My King, we are here to facilitate and protect you on your journey to the King's Realm. And, I am ashamed to say, we were sent to ensure the legitimacy of your claim. However, any doubt that may have lingered in our traitorous selves was eradicated immediately upon the recognition of your reiatsu." The leader of the trio seemed to be disgusted with herself at her own doubt.

"No, no. Don't worry like that - you were just making sure."

"My Lord, it is almost a crime in and of itself to doubt you. You may not yet sit upon the throne, but your claim is irrefutable, and as such what you say is..." She caught herself, retrying, "...no, not just what you say, but you in and of yourself is the law." Her soft gaze met the purple one filled with unease and puzzlement. "And as such, I truly regret what I am about to say. My King..."

The room seemed to still - two of its occupants filled with confusion, three filled with dread.

"There is a usurper to the throne."

The information hit Ichigo like a train - how? Were the Royal Guard not meant to prevent things like this? And who actually could usurp the throne? He could only wonder at who would have strength even comparable to the King. He looked over and saw Yamamoto, wide eyed and still. Chiyoko rushed in. "He doesn't yet sit on the throne, my Lord, but he has claimed dominion over the King's Realm, and his claims have destabilized the balance even further - possibly damaging the stability of all three realms irreparably. " She paused, breathing deeply. "And to my everlasting dishonor, I must inform you that his coup was aided, in part, by the Royal Guard. About half remain loyal to him."

A surprising shock of anger ran through Ichigo. Running a hand through his white hair, he struggled to keep calm. But then again, he shouldn't have been surprised at the anger he felt - the King's Guard was meant to help him, goddamnit, and as it was, they just seemed to be standing in his way.

"So. You're telling me that, as Royal Guards, you're supposed to protect me." Three sets of eyes fell. "Supposed to aid me. Supposed to legitimize me. And yet, looking at what you've told me, all you seem to have done is give me more problems, and possibly may have damaged the realm that I am supposed to be protecting. So I must, please, ask you." His burning eyes whipped up to meet Chiyoko's somber ones, radiating energy.

 ** _"Just how are you helping me?"_** His voice seemed to explode, thousands of timbres echoing from within, as though a horde of souls were screaming alongside him. The effect was immediate.

Chiyoko flinched heavily and rocked backwards, absorbing the full impact of the shout, her eyes closing in shame and terror. Akio fell backwards, eyepatch flying up and revealing the ruined tissues underneath, as he trembled wide eyed and stunned. Katsuo sprung backwards, face contorted by dread, his mask slipping down his face from the sudden movement.

And Yamamoto...his eyes flung open and he launched backwards. Landing in a crouch, he regarded Ichigo with different eyes - ones that saw just how raw and terrible his new King's massive power could be.

Meanwhile, Ichigo remained sat, closed eyes and slow breathing indications of his attempts to remain calm.

"Sorry - I didn't mean to...do as I just did. Please - just leave us for a while."

The three fled, bowing and scraping, out of the office. Yamamoto stayed silent.

* * *

"Well. That could have gone worse." Katsuo said, stood with his compatriots in the foyer before the office, lightly panting from adrenaline. "He could have killed us - we know that he easily could."

"Pah." Chiyoko scoffed. "He could have killed us with that very shout - and would have been well within his rights to do so. We have truly betrayed our King." The old woman seemed to sag from a moment, before regaining her composure, albeit with a melancholy tone. "The best we can hope for now is that he does not scorn our very presence, and forgives us our worst trespass."

Akio, fixing his eyepatch and calming his nerves, could only wonder at the extent of their King's power. "How can they stand it? The ordinary souls, the weaker shinigami, how do they stand to even be in his presence?" All three understood his confusion - despite the fact that their King had a tight hold of his reiatsu and as such almost none leaked, even being near him caused the three to feel an oppressive weight - a blanket of power - smother them.

"Child, that power will only grow once he sits on the throne."

"Do you think he could kill the Usurper?"

"Now? Possibly. But the moment he sits on the throne, takes his rightful place, he could crush him like an insect."

The group lapsed into calm, the aftereffects of their King's raw display of power slowly wearing off.

"Well, Katsuo, you appeared to know something about - what was it? - Orihime. Care to share with us what our King wanted to know?" Katsuo heaved a sigh.

"Until he acknowledged that she was related to Sora Inoue, no, I had no clue as to who she is. However, being as it is, she is most likely my lost granddaughter." Eyebrows raised across the group.

"What, lost as in dropped and forgotten?" Akio dryly remarked.

"I thought you were still cowering in fear?" The comment was acerbic.

"In awe of our King, yes." The silent _But not of you_ was heard all the same.

"Boy, I could -"

"Stop this bickering. The two of you are Tengoku gādo-tai, and you will act like it. You are making fools of yourselves, and are disgracing the King, who sits not so far from you now. If you dare act like this around him, I will personally have you court-martialed for disgraceful conduct."

"Yes, Commander."

"Yes, Commander."

Katsuo cleared his throat. "Anyways. A few years ago, about 20 perhaps, my grandson fled from his family and travelled into the human world, taking his extremely young sibling with him. My son told me the child was female, but that they had not yet decided on a name for her before she was taken, and we have spoken little since - my position in the guard has kept from him for many years, and my inability to help them search for the two caused a great deal of friction between us.

"In fact," Katsuo lightly scratched his chin as he continued, "The two of them disappeared completely - despite many of the best investigators and such looking for them, they totally vanished. If this Orihime truly is my granddaughter, then I will, as a duty to my family, return her to my son - unless our Lord decides otherwise - and have her introduced to her heritage."

"Well then. Perhaps we could send someone to ascertain this relationship," Akio quickly interjected. "It may please the King to know that we have taken such large steps to ensure even his smallest interests and concerns are fully explored and taken care of."

The three quietly agreed, but remained in the foyer, ready to return to their King if so required.

* * *

"My boy. That was a tad disproportionate, don't you think?" Yamamoto's concerned eyes locked with the slowly slackening face of his 'boy.'

"Perhaps, but to be honest old man - I could've done a lot worse. It's unbelievable - they, the Royal Guard, the ones we had at one point hoped would swoop in and take care of Aizen, were in fact part of the reason the balance of the worlds have been so close to chaos as of late - part of the reason Aizen managed to get so far in his schemes." He shook his head slowly. "I mean, jeez old man! I'm doing my best here, but that what I did there? That was proportional. I could have done a lot worse."

"Perhaps. But please my boy, try and be reasonable with them. They are doing their best, just the same as you. My boy, you must remember that to them, you are the be-all and end-all, they answer to no one higher. Your strength eclipses theirs to the point that it is almost criminal. One of them was not even in the Royal Guard when the last King was alive, so he has no idea what to do around you."

Ichigo quirked an eyebrow. "That Aiko kid? He was trembling the entire time - I was getting worried that he was gonna shit himself in the office."

"I believe his name was Akio. Chief Liaison is no title to sniff at either. Despite being in recent years a nigh-on ceremonial title, only some of the strongest can hold that position."

"Why? If it's an almost pointless seat, why would him filling it mean he's strong?"

"There are perils, my boy, when travelling between the King's Realm and Soul Society. I do not know what they are, but without the presence of the King, the journey is extremely treacherous. That scar, of which I am sure you noticed, was probably the result of one of those perils. The fact that he fills the seat means that, now, he can easily traverse the realms."

"I suppose. God, it's just so annoying. They've perhaps been the engineers of my greatest challenge. But then, you're right, they're just doing their best." He let his head roll backwards. "I can't really ask for more than that, can I?"

* * *

The door to the office swung open, Yamamoto shadowed in the doorway.

"The King wishes to privately converse with the three of you." The three passed him, Chiyoko remaining steely eyed and straight faced, ignoring Yamamoto entirely. They stood in line against the wall, bowed and silent, hoping that the boy sat in front of them would start the conversation - and that they weren't about to be torn apart.

The young King sighed. "I'm sorry about that - how I acted a while ago. It was unfair to you. I've just been rather stressed lately. This whole thing has come up so fast, and so out of the blue." They couldn't believe it - he was apologizing to them! The situation, they felt, should have been totally in reverse!

He gestured for them to sit, and downed the last of his tea. "All of the logistical stuff, the planning, yada yada, that can wait. What I want to know is how much time have I got before I have to go to the King's Realm?" The three shared glances.

"About, at maximum, two weeks, my Lord." Katsuo interjected, having done the calculations. "Any longer, and the instability will grow to an extremely dangerous degree." Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Two weeks? But the throne has been empty for years, and even now the signs of stress on the balance is almost imperceptible, even to the strongest shinigami. How could it devolve so quickly in two weeks?"

"My Lord, by the time you sit on the throne, more time will have passed than two weeks. Not to mention, the destabilization will accelerate towards the end. In two weeks, these signs of stress will be perceptible to every single shinigami. In five, the barriers between the realms will weaken. In eight, Hollows will be able to invade Soul Society with ease. In ten, the final of the nine hundred barriers surrounding the King's Realm will shatter. By then, you will most likely have a day or two before the realms collapse together, and all of creation is wiped out."

The room lapsed back into silence. "Two weeks. That's all I have to say goodbye to my friends. To my family." His voice was barely a whisper - a sharp contrast to the shout from earlier. "And then eight weeks to kill an immensely powerful usurper to the throne, who is backed by half of my Royal Guard.

"Ah, screw it. I'll have to go sometime." Ichigo's eyes seemed to empty and grow desolate. "Well. Two weeks is all I've got, two weeks I will have." He looked up, locking eyes with Akio. "I've heard that you do a good job of dimension hopping." Akio's chest puffed in pride. "I need to get to the Living World soon. Can you take me?"

Akio's eye widened. "My Lord, I would be honored to escort you!" His eagerness rolled off in waves.

"Thanks." He leaned back, gathering his thoughts. "Alright. I suppose I'll have to tell them." He stood, brushing off his clothes and heading for the door. The three Guards quickly clambered to their feet, armors and weapons rattling.

"My Lord, please forgive my question, but what are you telling?"

He stood at the threshold, and looked back with a smirk. "It's time to tell the captains - they've got a new King."

* * *

 **A.N - Woo, Ichigo got a bit miffed. He may appear to be a bit OOC, but chalk that down to the etiquette lessons Yamamoto has been giving him, and the fact that Ichigo is trying to reign in a fuck-ton of power, and not hurt people with it. He's more measured now, and the restrained power is going to pop out at times, and as such he will get angrier at points than perhaps expected.**

 **Right, so, anyways. Review, favorite, send this story to other people. The person who sends it to the most people gets a solid high five from me, and a booty call, to be used at any point in the future. You know you want this.**


	5. Chapter 5

Hitsugaya was late. Hitsugaya was almost never late, and never to a meeting ordered by Yamamoto himself. And yet, here he was - the last person to the meeting. He'd just seen Kenpachi walk in to the meeting hall, the one usually last, and rushed to the large oak doors.

Slipping into the back of the hall, Hitsugaya was thankful to see that none of the other captains were watching him. Instead, they seemed to be whispering to each other and throwing furtive glances to the front of the room. Hitsugaya quickly slid into the file, and murmured quietly to Kyoraku.

"What's going on?" The flowery captain seemed startled by the sudden appearance.

"I'm not sure. But what everyone's talking about is that." He gestured to the end of the room. Yamamoto, instead of being front and center, sat in the chair at the head of the room, was stood to the side next to Soi Fon silently. "It appears that Old Man Yamamoto won't be chairing this meeting."

The whispers across the hall fell silent as the doors opened again, the bright sun glinting off of floating dust particles. A single silhouette walked into the room, followed by three more, the doors still left open. With a wave of the head figure's hand, they shut with an almighty slam.

"Who the hell is that...?" As they watched a man, with an aura of regality cloaking him, white haired and paraffin skinned. What seemed to be a hollow's eyes, yet with a purple instead of the yellow, lazily gazed upon the collected captains. He was completely at ease surrounded by the strongest shinigami in Soul Society. Hitsugaya watched, hand clutching the hilt of his blade, in equal parts suspicion and awe, as this being stood in front of the Captain Commander, nodded, and took stage at the center of the room. The three following him, faces covered in some sort of golden mask and armored in blue and white, stood behind the mysterious figure and the chair usually filled by Yamamoto, hands clutching blades.

Ichigo was suddenly very glad for Yamamoto's teachings on decorum. "Thank you all for coming." Eyes widened across the room as the captains recognized the unmistakable, albeit quiet, voice of Ichigo Kurosaki. "As many of you may have realized, I am Ichigo Kurosaki. The change that you see in my appearance is the result of the main purpose for my calling you all here today."

At this, whispers broke out again. Yamamoto acted on Kurosaki's orders? Just who is Kurosaki? Hero of the Winter War, and now what? They couldn't feel any of his spiritual pressure, none of that trademark thick reiatsu that they had come to recognize, but they could feel a presence, raw and unbridled, lingering beneath the surface of the unusual calm exterior Kurosaki was presenting.

Ichigo let the whispering continue for a few moments, before venting a small pulse of reiatsu. The whispering died immediately, as many of the captains gasped for breath. Even Yamamoto was rubbing his chest and giving Ichigo a dry look. _Sorry_ , he mouthed back. Well, he had thought it was small.

Addressing the now attentive captains, he cleared his throat quietly. "As you have just experienced, in recent months I have received an incredible boost to my strength, one that comes as a result of my heritage." He breathed deeply. "I am the Heir to the King's Throne. I am the Spirit King."

Utter Chaos. Hitsugaya was stunned. The noise in the hall rose quickly, and to compete with it, he yelled at Kyoraku. "The King isn't even dead, is he?" Kyoraku shrugged in reply, eyes wide in surprise. Hitsugaya turned to the other captains, and watched as they all turned to each other, to Yamamoto and to Ichigo, and tried to talk. The noise mounted higher.

Yamamoto walked into the middle of the room, slamming his staff against the floor. While not as fast as Ichigo's method, it worked just as well.

"You are making fools of yourselves in front of your new King. Control yourselves." The Captain Commander's eyebrows sat heavily, eyes the visage of displeasure. Ichigo behind him looked, more than anything, mildly amused.

"Thank you, Captain Commander. I-"

"This is preposterous." Byakuya's haughty tone rolled across the hall. "There is no way that Kurosaki could be the Spirit King - he's not even a full shinigami."

"Be quiet, you insolent boy!" The captains in the room openly gaped at Yamamoto. Not even Unohana could remember the man so angry. "You will show respec-" He was silenced by Ichigo placing a hand on his shoulder, whose eyes were coldly regarding Byakuya with a visage of total disdain.

"Don't push it, Captain Kuchiki."

"And why not, Kurosaki? You may have a had a little boost in power, but you are still...insignificant." Memories rolled between the two, conflicts fought amidst conflicts, battles of words with battles of blades, as the allies in name only fought each other just as viciously with each other as with their supposed foe. The two both recollected what Byakuya had done to Isshin Kurosaki.

 _"She will never be a daughter to you. To say as such is a disgrace to my family name. Your...insignificance...corrupts all it touches. So, never," Kuchiki delivered a vicious backhand to the ex-captain, "disgrace us in such a way again...Shiba." He spat the name like poison._

Ichigo was polite, cruelly so. When, in a few days, the captains recalled the encounter, they would all speak of the pleasant tone Ichigo used, while each word was laced with venom. "You all know me for my lack of patience, and that has not improved much." They would talk of how he tried to talk Kuchiki down. "But now, I have the capacity to make the breaks in my patience deadly." They would talk about how Unohana backed away from her comrade, face a picture of anxiety. "And that is something that I don't, in a sound state of mind, want to do." They'd speak of how the underlying raw power pushed closer to the surface. "So, I'll kindly request,"

And they'd talk about how Ichigo's face was totally blank. "That you don't push me."

"Boy, there is nothing that you could do, nothing that-"

The captains all fell to their knees, the weight of a thousand buildings collapsing on top of them forcing them down. Toshiro suddenly felt very afraid of Kurosaki. The sentiment was echoed across the hall, even by Kenpachi, who would never willingly admit it.

And yet, the captains had not all felt the full brunt of the King's reiatsu. They had only caught the back draft, the vented, ambient power that spread from the main target of the King's assault, who was currently sprawled across the floor, clawing at his throat, eyes bulging and back bending under the deadly fury of a fledgling God. The captain's haori on his back disintegrated, scraps of white fabric falling to the ground like bricks due to the ambient pressure.

Yamamoto had maneuvered behind the King to stand with the Royal Guard, and so avoided the majority of what his fellow captain's were subjected to, but even then beads of sweat began to drip from his brow, and his knees began to shake. Katsuo, Akio and Chiyoko all stood stoically, but mirrored Yamamoto's trembling.

A wrinkled hand clasped the King's shoulder, feeling the power course through the flesh beneath.

"My boy...please, that is enough...you'll kill him." Dead purple eyes looked deeply into Yamamoto's own, his breath being robbed from him as a result, as the King turned back around and walked slowly to the writhing form of Byakuya Kuchiki.

Heaved upright and dangling from one hand, the captain swung his legs, kicking as his hands roamed to his throat to try and force air through and pry the King off of him, even as he felt his shoulders crack under the catastrophic pressure swamping the room.

And then he spoke. It wasn't the boisterous tone of the Ichigo they knew, or the somewhat measured one from the Kurosaki they had just seen, but the dead flat, totally authoritative voice of a vicious God.

"Be very glad that you had hurt my father while my sisters weren't watching. If you had hurt him and they'd seen, you wouldn't leave this room."

The pressure disappeared, and Byakuya was dropped into a heap. Gasping, he looked up at the suddenly looming King. "And if you dare insinuate that the Shiba Clan is in any way inferior to the Kuchiki clan again..." He paused, and the darkness surrounding those amaranthine irises seemed to extend deeper, like looking into the abyss. "...then the Kuchiki family will learn the true meaning of inferiority."

Ichigo walked over the pile that was Byakuya which coughed and wheezed, as the small crowd of captains parted with haste to make a pathway to the door for their King.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rukia was sat at the 13th Division barracks. God, she hated the pile of paperwork on her desk, but heavens forbid, she would never give up on it. That would mean her captain would have to do more work, and in his poor health Rukia could not, in good conscience, shirk her duties.

After signing the fifth official mission report on a single distorted message from a Hell Butterfly, her hand began to cramp. Leaning back in the chair, she thought that she would really prefer to be training right now with Ichigo - or Renji, she added as an afterthought, with a small lick of guilt. It wasn't that she didn't want to train with Renji, it was just that Ichigo was, especially with that reiatsu boost, so much stronger. Besides, she really wanted to interrogate him on what it was that gave him the boost - and consequently, the weird as hell body change.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door flying open.

"God, I fucking hate your brother." Rukia, half risen and reaching for for her Zanpakuto, was stunned.

"The hell, Ichigo? What's Byakuya done that's got you so upset - and why did you come to me?"

Ichigo flopped down onto her sofa and looked up at her. "Because you, I trust." He spoke through clenched teeth, and balled his fists. "As for what Byakuya's done...well, you'll hear from Ukitake soon enough." He sighed. "But I have to tell you now, before you hear from someone else - I almost killed your brother." He stopped, and then added, almost as an afterthought, "And I'm the new Spirit King."

Rukia stood silently, glaring at him. "The Spirit King."

"The Spirit King."

"You."

"Me."

Rukia couldn't believe it - either Ichigo had gotten delusional, or the boost to his power _really_ went to his head. "Mhm. You know, I think Unohana has something for insanity - you should talk to her."

"Ha. Hilarious. Your comedy is the heart of Seireitei. Seriously, I am. Read this." He reached behind him and got out a scroll. "It bears the King's Seal and everything."

As Rukia read, her eyes widened. At the end, she looked at Ichigo with an aghast expression, frozen. "I just made fun of the King."

He had to laugh.

* * *

After a full half hour of telling Rukia to treat him as normal, rejecting her opinions, and pleading, she eventually stopped fretting. "So, what now?"

He looked downcast. "As of now, I have thirteen days before I have to leave for the King's Realm, and then, I think its eight weeks or so to take the throne and repair the damage done, or else creation itself will die." Rukia put her hand on his back in support.

It took just a second, but they locked eyes - and nothing happened. No immense pressure, nothing. Just normalcy.

And perhaps it was this, or perhaps it was the culmination of many months of stress and years of fighting, training and beating Aizen together, that led to the two, locked in a violet gaze, to lean in, and tenderly kiss each other.

* * *

 **A.N - It's happening! Well, this is more of them realizing that the other may have some sort of affection for the other. No big thing yet - that's next chapter!**

 **Also, Byakuya ate shit. He seems a little unsympathetic, no? He has his reasons. Ichigo still proved that he is top dog here though.**

 **Review, favorite, follow, all of that lovely stuff. In all honesty, it makes me work harder. With every review I get, I feel like I'm writing this for more than me, and as such won't lose interest. I don't want to disappoint you guys, and knowing that you care enough about this crappy little thing that I'm writing to talk to me about it, it actually, cliche as it is, means a lot.**

 **Also, my view count is stuck at 38 on Chapter 1, and nothing more. FF, your shit is broke buddy. Either that, or the lot of you reading this are ghosts.**


	6. Chapter 6

Byakuya was sat, still, in Unohana's office. Neither spoke as she examined him, making sure that his treatment by the King would leave no permanent injuries. She stood.

"You'll be fine. Nothing permanent, and the breathing issues should sort themselves out in a week." He eyed her fellow captain. "You know, what you did back there, has to be one of the most stupid things I have ever seen." She shook her head. "You should know that I was still around, met the last Spirit King. You should have asked me."

He mumbled something unintelligible.

"Speak up, Byakuya." Her eyes were hard, peering down with disappointment.

"How was I to know that br- that child is the King?"

"The Captain Commander would not bow to anyone, you bloody fool." She walked away from him, peering from the office window across the rooftops of Seireitei. "Everything about whom you were about to call a _brat_ ," She shot him a glare, "is Royal. His reiatsu, his stance, everything. Even his eyes - only the King has had those eyes." She sighed. "And there is nothing you can ever do about that. You were right about one thing, Kuchiki."

He quietly snorted in weariness. "And what's that?"

Unohana turned around, and went to the door. "He isn't a shinigami. He's not a hollow or a quincy either." As she left, she shot a final parting remark. "He's above them all."

* * *

The moon slowly rolled across the ebony sky, as Rukia sat looking up at it in restlessness. Of course she couldn't she sleep - how could she? She'd just learnt that her closest friend was the Spirit King. And then she'd kissed said friend. In truth, it was both of them, they'd both leaned in for the kiss. She thought. What if he didn't? What if she just imagined it? She was making it more complicated.

Were they still friends? Were they an item now? Was she over thinking a simple kiss? And even then, a part of her fluttered at the thought of another. Even the thought of the feeling of the last one made her giddy. God, she'd wanted to do that for such a long time. Years, in fact. Since they'd beaten Aizen together. But she'd never wanted to push him, or risk losing the friendship they had. And now? Now? Now, she thought...well, she didn't know what to think. She worried that he didn't feel the same, and their friendship would be strained because of it. But then, the kiss...

She groaned, and flopped back onto her bed. As she started to drift off, some small part of her then whispered _You know, you didn't just kiss Ichigo. You kissed the Spirit King._ She bolted straight back up.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of Seireitei, Ichigo Kurosaki, the Heir to the King's Throne, Fledgling God and the Hero of the Winter War, bit at his black fingernails.

 _Fuck. What was that? Why did I do that? She leaned in too though. Maybe she felt the same way? Oh crap. What if this ruins any relationship we have now? What if she doesn't feel the same way?_

He sat down, head in his hands, and tried to think of ways to apologize to Rukia.

And yet, she had definitely kissed back. Maybe, she did feel the same way? But even then, he somewhat hoped she didn't - it would be cruel to be with her and then abandon her for eight weeks, minimum. Even then, he didn't know how he himself felt about her - she was his best friend, they'd seen more crap together than with anyone else, and they'd been side by side as Aizen finally fell, but Ichigo had felt something different with her ever since Byakuya attacked his father. The memory made his blood boil, but he realized that ever since then, he'd wanted to protect her completely, hold her behind him. Or just hold her. He realized that he was jealous of Byakuya. He hated the thought that Byakuya had said that she'd never be a Kurosaki. He hated that Byakuya wanted them apart.

Fuck. He'd fallen for Rukia Kuchiki a long time ago, and hadn't even noticed it.

* * *

The office echoed with a quiet conversation.

"My boy, you have no idea how many times I have been approached by the captains, trying to pry more information about you." Yamamoto chuckled. "To give credit to Captain Kenpachi, his attempt was smart. He let Lieutenant Yachiru invade my office, and then offered me to help get her off of my back in trade for some answers."

"Ha! Kenpachi, thinking tactically? Now, Soul Society truly has someone to fear." The two chuckled, the sound thick with companionship. "So," Ichigo leaned in conspiratorially, "what's the deal with you and Chiyoko? You two look like you can barely stand to be in a room with one another."

Yamamoto grimaced. "I'm not certain that it's my story to tell, in truth."

"Oh, go on, old man. If you won't tell me, I'll ask her." At this, Yamamoto almost stood.

"No! No, my Lord, don't ask her. Very well. I'll tell you." He collected his thoughts, and told the tale.

 _"And I would..." she paused, "I would like you to join us." Chiyoko's eyes glinted and glowed in the afternoon sun._

 _"My dear...I do not know if I can. I have duties here, at Seireitei, and I cannot merely abandon them. Someone must lead the Gotei 13, and the King has entrusted me with that duty." She scowled._

 _"Genryūsai, you'd do more for the King as a Royal Guardsman. You and I know that." He looked away._

 _"Has the King told you this?" She pulled his face towards hers, her blonde hair swinging as she shook her head a no._

 _"But I know that he would agree. He would sooner see you in the Royal Guard, using your abilities well and to their fullest capacity than letting them rot here. And so would I."_

"But I couldn't. Even if the King had agreed, unless he had specifically told me that he wanted me in his Guard, I wouldn't have. I felt as though I couldn't leave the duties already given to me. I felt that my highest calling was to help bring order to the chaos that was Soul Society. So, we parted on sour terms. Cruel words were exchanged, and I haven't seen her since. That is, until recently, of course."

Ichigo was shocked. The idea that they had been past flames had crossed his mind, but he did not seriously consider it. He was saddened at the thought that the man who felt like a grandfather to him was alone, now estranged with the woman he had once loved because he valued his duty over his own desires. "Do you regret it?"

"My refusal to follow her?" He gazed off into the distance. "In some ways, yes. Maybe I would have been happier with her than alone. But I think, unless the King had specifically ordered me, I would have also felt unfulfilled. Ours was a tryst not meant to last."

Ichigo's mind involuntarily went to Rukia. He still didn't know if she felt the same way as he did, and Yamamoto's tale had unearthed new worries. What if his going to the King's Realm put too much distance between them? What if they ended up like Yamamoto and Chiyoko?

Trying to ignore his worries, and concerning himself with confronting Rukia and telling her his feelings, he smiled - albeit, obviously emptily - and turned back towards his tea.

* * *

Byakuya walked through the halls of his manor. Not his. The family's manor. Even as he walked, his mind roamed to the incident two days ago. He'd brought such dishonor that the clan elder's had considered disowning him. They didn't say it out loud, of course not. But he knew. With sad, silent compliance, he knew.

As he walked, his eyes roamed the walls. Some were bare wood, but others - others showed murals. It had been years since he had truly gazed at these painted parchments, and yet he felt at home with the smears of red and the blotches of blue. With a start, he realized that the one he was just looking at is one detailing the Ruining of Gao Kuchiki. The man had been a fool, drunkenly stating that the Spirit King was a bastard child unfit to rule, and that he'd kill him and take his place. Word spread like wildfire, and back to the elders of the clan. Without a moment's hesitation, he was dropped. The family totally abandoned him, striking his name from most records. Not only that, but he was executed for High Treason. Only this mural remained as a reminder. As a warning. The Spirit King is above all.

Unwilling to dwell further on the somber tale, he walked further down the hall, and out of the door he'd so often opened, he could tell you the precise angle at which the hinge would creak.

This was it. The memorial. A small garden. The centerpiece, an ivory fountain with a bronze plaque. It read, _To Hisana._ He once again cast his mind back, back to the day that he made an enemy of Ichigo Kurosaki.

 _Byakuya could feel rage filling each pore of his body. How dare that imbecile even mention Rukia's name! To go further, to claim her as his third daughter? A slight, not just on the Kuchiki family, but to Hisana, and one that Byakuya would repay._

 _The doors to the clinic swung open, and a somber Isshin Shiba - or Kurosaki - stood at the door. "Greetings Byakuya. What brings you here?" The rest of the house was empty - a quick check for reiatsu sealed the deal. Byakuya Kuchiki pushed the body of Isshin Shiba back into his house and held him by the shirt._

 _"She will never be a daughter to you. To say as such is a disgrace to my family name. Your...insignificance...corrupts all it touches. So, never," Kuchiki delivered a vicious backhand to the ex-captain, "disgrace us in such a way again...Shiba."_

 _As Byakuya turned to leave, Isshin got to his feet, delivering a full punch to the side of Byakuya's head. "Ha! Our insignificance corrupts? Maybe, but your idiocy does the same, you fucking monster. Ichigo told me - willing to let your sister die? Not even trying to defend her?" The men stared at each other, as the reiatsu of both built in rage - Isshin's gigai began to get damaged as it struggled to manage the pressure of the reiatsu building inside of it. The normally wacky face of Isshin Shiba pulled into a vicious grin. "No wonder that you don't talk about Hisana anymore. What, do the memories hurt, or do you know that she'd hate you for all that you've done?"_

 _The final comment pushed Byakuya over the edge, and in Isshin's weakened state, despite his still considerable power, he couldn't defend himself. Byakuya flash-stepped, grabbing Isshin's throat as he went, and threw him into the wall of the clinic. The wall burst out in a shower of plaster, as Isshin collapsed into the street outside._

To be truthful, Byakuya knew he could have handled it better, but that final comment...it was too much. He sat on the bench by the fountain, and for the first time in years talked to Hisana.

"Well, my dear. It's been a long time. I'm sorry for that, there really is no excuse for it." He swallowed thickly, eyes following the crystal clear water as it trickled down the sides of the fountain. "But I've made a terrible mistake, Hisana. Ichigo Kurosaki, he's the Spirit King. In the announcement, I challenged him." He scoffed, shaking his head. "I was a bloody fool. The boy is the Spirit King. And now, I don't know what to do. I've dishonored the family, I've protected Rukia poorly, and in every act I've done to protect her I've merely made an enemy or made things worse.

"I may wear the hairclip, but I am no Kuchiki. I am a disgrace. And I am so sorry Hisana. In trying to protect your and Rukia's honor, I've dirtied it far more than I could have possibly imagined."

The only noise was the wind, softly blowing through falling Sakura leaves, and a quiet sobbing.

* * *

 **A.N - Well, since I posted the last chapter, yesterday, I got two more reviews. Not going to lie, seeing those made my day - your feedback is priceless. Thanks to Michapoohbear, Vans-Sama, Shinichioiyx, Pollyped, Spirit of The Black Wolf (What a name!) and the anonymous guy from Chapter One. You all rock.**

 **So yeah, Byakuya has his reasons to be a stuck up little prick, and let's be honest, the guy is all about honor, family or otherwise. The Catch - 22 of defending that of his wife's and sister's honor versus the family honor and the anger of their King has put him in a tough ole' spot. Poor guy can't catch a break. And yeah, Isshin wasn't as innocent in their little confrontation as previously believed. Still, probably the most innocent, but let's be honest, he did just rub salt into a very sore wound for Byakuya. It isn't such a black and white thing.**

 **So - Review, favorite, follow and keep reading this stuff. I appreciate it, you glorious human beings, you.**


	7. Chapter 7

_Okay. You can do this. It's the same Rukia, you've known her for years, and she hasn't changed. Even if she says no, you can still talk to her, let her know that we can still be friends, even if she doesn't want to **be** with me, in that sense. _ Breathe deeply, in and out.

He hovered outside of the door to the 13th Barracks, hand floating over the handle, trying to get enough courage to turn it and enter. _Goddamnit, just do it! You weren't this scared of Aizen!_

He took a few steps back, pulling a hand through his hair. Stopping, closing his eyes and balling hands, he gathered his courage. Trying to walk with purpose, he strode towards the door, hand out for the handle.

And he walked straight into Rukia. The sight was comical - the Spirit King barrelled into the single person he was afraid of at this moment, knocked her sprawling backwards, him tripping up and following her, and Rukia landing on the floor, only to get winded when Ichigo's head hit her stomach.

"Shit!"

"Oof!"

The two scrambled to their feet, one wheezing slightly. "Jeez, Rukia, I'm sorry. You alright?"

"Yeah I am. Idiot." She smacked Ichigo's stomach. "Watch where you're going next time, eh?"

Ichigo raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I'm sorry. I did look, it's just that a midget is below my cone of vision."

"Midget? Oh, you bastard. Who're you to be throwing names around anyway Ichigo? Or should I say," sarcasm dripped thickly from her tongue, "my Liege?"

"Ha. See? I laughed, good job. Always knew you'd be good as a clown."

The two went back and forth for a few minutes before stopping. Sensing the lull in their conversation, Ichigo tried to remember why he had come in the first place.

"Oh yeah! Um, Rukia, I was gonna be going to the Human world for a few days tonight, to say bye to my family, Orihime, Chad, Uryu, and all my friends over there. So, uh. I wanted to know if you would come round to Yamamoto's office tonight? And we could sit, and talk. And eat. And stuff."

She sent Ichigo a long look. "And eat and stuff. For the most noble noble of all the nobles, you really don't have such an expanded lexis."

Ichigo tried to wrap his head around what Rukia had said about the nobles that he almost missed the insult.

"And, uh, yes. I would." Now, Rukia looked nervous too. "So. Tonight then?"

"Yeah. Tonight."

Ichigo waved bye, and left, thinking _God, she must think I'm an absolute idiot. I made that so awkward._

Rukia waved back, retreating back into her office, thinking _God, he must think I'm so conceited. I made that so awkward._

* * *

Yamamoto sat across from Yachiru, who was currently into her fifth hour on the importance of sweets in training at the Shinigami Academy. Yamamoto wanted to cry.

* * *

"Go fish."

"Fuck."

"Got any Queens?"

"How? How do you always know?"

"Ha, skill."

"Got any threes?"

"Only one buddy."

"Mm, better than nothing."

Akio scratched his chin, pulling the scarred skin around. "Katsuo, got any fours?"

"Go fish." The older man sat across from him, nursing a cup of sake, making sure that all of his reiatsu was tightly bound and not going to leak. The King had told them to take the night off - ordered, to be truthful - and so the two were embroiled in cards, and booze. And they'd found two other people who liked those same things.

"Rangiku, pass me that six you've got hidden there." The flowery captain smirked softly as the aforementioned woman grumbled, sliding the card over to him. "Got a set." He laid down the four sixes. The other three groaned. "So," his tone was curious, "what did you say you guys do again?"

The two Royal Guardsmen exchanged looks, unseen by the other occupants of the table. "We're unseated shinigami, for Division Thirteen. We basically just handle the mail." Katsuo drank. "It's a shit job, but hey. Better than being the one to clean out the eleventh division training grounds."

Akio played along. "They actually clean those?" The three chuckled softly. "Oh, and got any Aces?"

"Go fish."

"Tch. Crap."

Rangiku spoke next, eyes blinking leisurely thanks to the amount of sake she had drunk. "So, boyo, how'd you get that nasty lookin' scar?"

The only sign of Akio's tensing was a curling of his toes. "Ah, got into a nasty fight with a hollow. Damn thing had poisonous claws - I was under healing kido for a week, and it left me this nasty ass scar." He drank. "Only bright side to it is that I look like a nasty motherfucker, so sometimes Squad Eleven leave me alone."

"Got any twos?"

"Prick."

"So," Katsuo's tone was casual, but Akio noticed the undercurrent of interrogation. Luckily, the other two didn't. "What's this I've heard about some girl that our new Spirit King knows, Otuhime?"

Rangiku was quickest. "Orihime. The girl was a miracle. During the war, she healed so many shinigami, even the captains a couple of times each, so quickly that even Unohana was stunned. They called her, 'The Miracle of Karakura.' She'd make a fatal wound disappear before anyone else would realize that the wound was there. If Kurosaki won the war, Inoue made sure that there were still people to come back."

Katsuo caught Akio's eye. "Jesus. She sounds incredible. Is she a shinigami?"

Kyoraku this time. "No, a human - we think. The thing is, she doesn't feel like a hollow, quincy, or a shinigami. She feels different."

"Like?" The two leaned in, almost involuntarily. Kyoraku fell silent, searching for the words.

"Like the Royal Guards Ichigo was with. Won't mean anything to you two, but it felt like that."

The room was silent for a few moments.

"Got any Kings, Akio?"

"Just the one."

* * *

"Thanks for this old man." Ichigo smiled warmly at the old shinigami. "I owe you one."

"No, no, my boy. I'm glad to help." Yamamoto smiled. "I will always do whatever I can to help a budding love spring."

Ichigo blushed. The old man chuckled, and left the room.

Ichigo looked at the room, bathed as it was in an orange glow from the softly crackling fireplace, and waited.

A few bowel-shittingly terrifying minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

"Captain Commander? Sorry for the intrusion sir, Ichigo told me - oh, hey." She walked in, nerves shining through her violet eyes, which widened at the sight of the small table on the balcony. "That's, uh, for us?"

"Er, y-yeah, it is. Old man Yama was all too happy to help. And since I don't know any restaurants in Seireitei, I just thought that - well, we could eat here?"

"Yeah! Yeah, this is, um. This is nice." The two stood awkwardly, before making their way over to the table.

"The food's probably not as good as at the Kuchiki Manor, but I couldn't find anyone that made good food at such short notice, so Yamamoto got Sasakibe to make the food."

The two sat, and began to eat, and talk. "So, how're you holding up? With this whole about the Spirit King, you have to be busy."

"Ah, well, not too bad I suppose. To be honest, these two weeks are going to be the easiest I've got. When I go into the King's Realm - well, Chiyoko's-"

"Chiyoko?"

"Chiyoko Fujioka, Commander of the Tengoku Gādo-tai." Rukia's looked stunned.

"So, she's here? Now? The Royal Guard are here?"

"No, no. Not the entire thing. See, that's the problem. Not many people know this, but Chiyoko's been telling me that we are basically going to be going to war. I'll need to rally troops, siege the King's Palace, and sit on the throne before everything goes to shit."

Her eyes widened to the size of dishes, and her jaw dropped, mouth forming a perfect 'o'. "But, but why? I thought you were going to the King's Realm and that it would take eight weeks to repair the damage done?"

"You don't know?" She shook her head. "They told me, when they first came, that there is a Usurper to the throne, who's claiming dominion over the King's Realm, and making the realms collapse even faster. His power, they said, is roughly close to mine now, so a fight between us, now, could go either way." He paused, looking deep into Rukia's eyes again, and stunned to find that, once again, she was unaffected. "The worst part of it is that the half of the Royal Guard have betrayed me, and joined him."

Silence stretched between them. "But, I'll fight this. I'll do everything I can to get on that throne, and beat the asshole making things worse for everyone."

The conversation turned to more pleasant things.

* * *

"Thanks Rukia, for coming tonight. It was good."

"Yeah." She smirked. "It was."

They were quiet, stood outside of the Kuchiki Manor as the moon peered down on them from above.

"Uh, yeah. I'll see you when I get back?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then." He watched as her violet eyes seemed to dance with joy, knowing that his probably were too.

Neither of them said it, but it was a silent agreement.

They both leaned in, no confusion this time, and kissed again.

* * *

 **A.N - Well, holy shit. I posted the last chapter last night with seven reviews. I am now looking at 18. Well, that is incredible. You guys are the shit, thank all of you so much, if seeing 7 reviews made my day, seeing it almost triple made my month. I have read them, and all I can say is that Ichigo's inner spirits will come more into play once he faces the trials in the King's Realm, and Central 46...well, Byakuya isn't the only one who had reservations surrounding Ichigo's claim. I'll leave it at that.**

 **Yup, it's official. They figured out that they liked each other. It's cute. I like them.**

 **If the updates get a little less often, don't worry, I'm not giving up on this story, it just means that I'm trying to write the best I can for all of y'all, and not publish crap. Also, if I do publish crap, don't be afraid to slam me in the reviews - I'd much rather get some scathing, but helpful reviews than write a sub-par story.**

 **Review, favorite and follow this story if you like it - with each new favorite, with every new follow, I get a little giddy. With every review, I get _very_ giddy.**

 **Also, my story at time of writing has 42 followers. It also has 38 views. FanFiction do can problem of maths.**


	8. Chapter 8

"Alright, thanks Akio. In a week, come back here to pick me up."

"Yes, of course my Lord!" With a bow, the Guardsman vanished in a swirl of white light.

He walked slowly, enjoying the warm morning Karakura sun. The journey had taken less time than expected - he had only lost five hours in the buffer zone between worlds.

Eventually arriving at the Kurosaki Clinic, he opened the door to reveal his father stood at the door with a blinding grin.

"My son! Oh, it's such a good day! My son, come back to talk to his old man!" The only impeding factor of Isshin's usual chaotic greetings was the sling his left arm was in. "Karin! Yuzu! Your delinquent brother has returned to bless us all with his presence!"

Isshin pulled Ichigo in for an unexpected one-armed hug. "We'll talk tonight." He whispered into his son's ear, pulling away with a serious face, before slapping back on the inane grin as the girls rounded the corner.

The talking was as it usually always was - Yuzu was soft and gentle, Karin was loud and boisterous, complaining that her no-good brother had been gone for too long. It felt normal. Only what his father had said had tarred the moment with abnormality.

After a few hours at his home, Ichigo went out to talk to his friends.

They walked across the Karakura Park.

"So, Ichigo. How's things over at Soul Society?" Chad was quiet, but smiling.

"Yeah, how are things in the dragon's den?" Uryu smirked. Orihime laughed.

"Not too bad. Got a whole lot stronger recently, which is cool." The others appraised him.

"Stronger, eh? Contest?" Uryu's were alight with the prospect of a competition.

"Er, maybe not - I could do some serious damage if I got out of this Gigai." Ichigo was in a body that looked like his old appearance, old hair and all. They wouldn't have recognized him otherwise.

"That strong Ichigo?" Orihime's honest eyes watched her friend.

"Yeah. In fact, I need to say something - I'll only be back for a few days, and then I'll have to leave for a very long time - possibly permanently from the Human World." They stopped, the others shocked.

"Ichigo? What's wrong?" Again, it was Orihime that was vocalized the thoughts of the others.

"Well. I'm the...ah, I have to go to another Realm for a bit. The King's one, specifically. That boost in power is from the fact that I'm the Spirit King. I have to go and sit on the throne."

He was met with three pairs of shocked eyes. Sighing, he went through the now normal routine of explaining, assuring, and demonstrating the fact that he was, in fact, the Spirit King.

* * *

The three made their way to a small café by the park. Holding cups of coffee, they sat in silence for a bit.

"So. Why do you have to sit on the throne? You seem like the Spirit King as it is now."

"No, as it is I'm only the Heir to the Throne. I have to sit on it first to become King. And I have to be the King, as the old King is dead."

Uryu choked on his drink. Orihime began hitting him on the back to get him to cough out the inhaled coffee. Chad regarded Ichigo with investigative eyes.

"If the old King is dead, isn't existence going to collapse? That's what Urahara said, anyway."

"Yeah. He's been dead a very long time, but in ten weeks, if no one is there to act as the lynchpin, existence will collapse. The realms are already unstable - Aizen would have been stopped much sooner if they weren't. In a few weeks, you'll see the dimensions begin to fray. In about five weeks, you're gonna notice cracks, and in about eight, it's going to turn into a battleground in Karakura and Soul Society - Hollows of all shapes and sizes will be able to invade with ease."

"So, school will have to take a backburner?"

"We won't let you down Ichigo. You can count on us, we'll keep Karakura safe."

"Will you need help in the King's Realm?"

"Yes Uryu, it will. If you don't there won't be a school, smart ass. Thanks Chad, I know I can." He smiled. "And Orihime...well, there's something I wanted to ask you about."

She seemed a bit taken aback - usually, it was Ichigo with all the answers, and they all asked him. "Sure."

"What did Sora say about your parents?" Despite the fact that the café was almost full, the rest of the room seemed to fall away, as Uryu and Chad turned to Orihime with eyebrows raised in intrigue.

"He said that they were cruel. That my mother was a prostitute, that my father was a drunkard. That they beat us." Her eyes were downcast, tears running along the edge.

"Well, one of my Royal Guardsmen is called Katsuo Inoue, apparently of House Inoue in the King's Realm." The three looked up in confusion. "The first time I'd heard, I asked him if he knew you. He said no." Orihime looked suddenly saddened by the lost prospect of a family member. "But then, he said he knew a Sora Inoue." She looked back up, brightened. "I'll ask them to look into it, but knowing them, they're probably already doing so to keep me happy."

"So...what could that mean?"

Ichigo shrugged. "It could mean that you're a noble from the King's Realm. As such, you'd probably be ranked higher than the captains in Soul Society. It may even explain your abilities somewhat."

As the four pondered over the consequences of this - Uryu almost wanting it to be false, as he didn't want to lose another ally to the King's Realm - the waiter came. After he left, Ichigo spent an hour interrogating the four on how thing's had been in his absence.

"And then there's Tatsuki. She's heading straight for the National Karate Tournament. Knowing her, she'll either walk over the lot of them, or get crushed, come back next year, _and_ _then_ walk all over them."

Ichigo had to agree - if anyone had an indomitable spirit, it was her. In a way, Chiyoko reminded him of her - fierce, unstoppable, violent and brutal, but a loyal streak a mile wide. "Where is she now? Haven't spoken to her for a while."

"Off in Kyoto, meeting some old champion to train. She'll be back next week though, if you're still around."

"No, I'll miss her. Only down for a few days." He sighed. The conversation lulled, until Chad broke the silence.

"And how's Rukia?" Ichigo blushed furiously.

"Fine. Peachy, in fact. Complaining about her amount of work, as per usual. Also finishing all of that work without delay, as per usual."

Uryu leaned in. "No, no. There's something else. Come on now Kurosaki. Spill the beans."

"There's nothing." His vehement objections just made them more curious.

"We won't tell anyone, Ichigo."

"He knows, Orihime. He's just embarrassed to say."

"Hmm."

"Shut up, the lot of you! Alright, alright. We, er. We think that we have feelings for each other."

Chad smiled, and put one of his huge hands on Ichigo's shoulder in congratulations. Uryu whooped.

"My my, Death and the Berry! Who could've guessed it?" He threw a long, droll face. "No, but seriously, you two are the last to have noticed that you like each other." Even Orihime looked happy for him, tinged as it was with sadness at the passing of her old crush. "It's about time. Me and Orihime were about to start playing matchmaker."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, four-eyes. Thing is, I'm gonna be leaving for the King's Realm soon. I don't want to abandon her."

"Then ask her if she wants to come with you. She'd love it. Byakuya," Ichigo's face darkened minutely, "would be unable to resist having his sister join the Spirit King, and you'd be able to be with her while you sit on the Throne!" Orihime's eyes became distant, focused on some far away point. "Oh, she'd love it! It'd be so romantic..."

The day drew closer to night, and as Ichigo watched the sun filtering in through the water-marked glass of the window, he thought back on what his father had said. The group stood as the yellow dish kissed the horizon, and left as the orange sky began to darken.

* * *

"I'm home." Ichigo was greeted with no flying kicks, no head butts to dodge or chops to flip. Instead, Ichigo watched as his father walked out from the living room, wearing a smile that lacked the craziness of his usual smiles. It was almost serious.

"Hey son. Come in here. We've got stuff to talk about."

They sat facing each other on the sofa. "What's this about, old man?"

"I know, Ichigo. You're the Spirit King." He stared at his father in slight shock.

"Right. That's good. I don't have to tell you now. But, uh..." He scratched at his head, "How do you know?"

Isshin smiled gently. "Don't fly off the handle here Ichigo. I've known since you were born."

Christ. Sprung up from the sofa. "A-and you didn't tell me? The hell, old man?"

"Come now Ichigo, do you think that would have believed me? My boy, the King met me a long, long time ago. He told me that I would bear his heir. And, he-"

"Wait," Ichigo frowned. "Just how old are you?"

"Seven hundred or so. You lose count."

Ichigo fell back onto the sofa. "Jesus. So, my dad is older than Edo Castle, and he knew that I would be - one day - the Spirit King." He laughed once. "Nope, no questions here. This is unbelievable."

"Well, you did know I was at least a hundred."

"Yeah, I did. But, Dad, there's a large difference between being around for the First World War, and being around for the Sengoku Jidai."

Isshin laughed. "True. As I was saying, the King gave me something to give to you, once you'd found out of your...position, shall we say." He reached for a small ornate wooden box, and retrieved a white key. "He told me that it leads to a room in the King's Palace, but not what door. The only thing he said is that it doesn't open the throne room. He must have assumed that you'd figure out the rest by yourself."

He dropped the key into Ichigo's outstretched hand. While ordinary in appearance, the key thrummed with power. Even holding it only for a few seconds caused Ichigo's gigai to disintegrate around where it lay, revealing the pale soul hidden beneath. He placed it back inside the box.

"Thanks old man." He really didn't know what else to say - usually, it was him shocking everyone else lately, not the other way around, and as such, he was at a loss. What could you say when your father had just told you he was older than Tokyo? What could you say when your biggest shocker had been known by him since before you had been born? His eyes flitted back to the arm in the sling. "Hey, how's your arm?"

Isshin grimaced. "Sore. But, I'll live. How's my best friend?"

"Byakuya?" Ichigo snorted. "Suffering breathing problems." Ichigo detailed the encounter in the Captain Meeting.

"Well, I know for sure that he'll have been getting threats of disownment form the elders of the Kuchiki Clan, and I can bet you that every single captain has been avoiding him like the plague."

"Oh?"

"Yep. No one wants to risk pissing off their new King. Your display in the hall would have put the fear of God - literally - into them."

They laughed.

* * *

"I understand that, but you must realize, a boy he may be, but his power is unequivocal. He could enter this building and crush it, simply by venting the excess reiatsu, and there is nothing any of us could possibly do to even pester him, let alone stop him."

"And yet, we have seen no example of this. No evidence. All we have to go on, Captain Commander, is your word, and hearsay, and while me and my colleagues agree that your word is compelling, it forms no legal basis. From our understanding, the Kurosaki boy has no claim to the throne, and as such must be tried for treason."

Yamamoto scoffed. "No. Of course you would not recognize him as your King. He is the only man with judicial authority eclipsing yours, so of course he is a traitor."

"Mind your tongue, Captain Commander - you may be respected in the Gotei 13, but here, you can and will be tried for contempt. The ruling of the Central 46 is Ichigo Kurosaki, Son of Isshin Shiba of House Shiba, Substitute Shinigami, and Claimant to the Throne of the Spirit King is a pretender to said throne, and as such has committed the act of High Treason." The gong was struck, it's dark wash surrounding the occupants of the room. "So say we."

Yamamoto bowed. "Then I wish you all a good day." He turned, walking towards the open doorway. "And I pray that you may find some other deity to take mercy upon you, for he will not."

* * *

 **A.N - Keep those reviews coming boys and girls, you're on a roll! It will only take a moment, and it really means so much.**

 **So, we have Ichigo's visit to the Human World - it's a short one, he is just saying goodbye really. The big fucker is Central 46. Methinks we're about to have a replay of the Captain's Meeting, no?**

 **Also, I'm trying to make sure that I write longer chapters, but sometimes they come to a natural end after only a thousand and a half words, so I'd rather have shorter chapters sometimes than write crap.**

 **As always, review, favorite, follow and share this story around! If you like it, tell me why in a review and I'll try and make sure I keep doing what you like. If you don't you probably aren't reading this, but nonetheless, drop me a review saying what you don't like and I'll try to fix it. Either way, keep making my day fellas.**

 **Still stuck on 38 views. I have ten more followers than views - you guys are actually ghosts. I'm scared.**


	9. Chapter 9

The rest of the visit went on as expected - over the seven days, Ichigo had spent some time with every single one of his friends in the human world, and while he didn't spread the fact that he was the Spirit King, he made sure that they knew in no uncertain terms that he was leaving. This was met with a variety of responses - some were shocked, others were annoyed. Keigo cried, and was met with a quick punch in the mouth. It was everything Ichigo expected.

And yet, despite the fact that he so wanted to say goodbye to his friends and family, he couldn't help but feel restless to return. He wanted to prepare for the trip to the King's Realm, wanted to question Katsuo more on Orihime, since she obviously wanted to know herself, which was his only impediment from asking him the past.

And, he felt most keenly the desire to ask Rukia to follow him into the King's Realm. He fully expected her to refuse - she had responsibilities in Seireitei and wouldn't want to leave Ukitake or the Kuchiki family - but he wanted to ask nonetheless. If there was even a small chance that she would agree, he would go for it.

Kissing Yuzu on the head and hugging Karin (against her will, since she insisted that he'd return, or she'd 'kick your ass from here to Christmas!'), he stood at the threshold of the Kurosaki Clinic. He locked eyes with his father, nodding in understanding, as he felt the weight and leaking power from the box in his hands.

Perhaps for the last time, he walked out into the rising Karakura sun.

* * *

"Ichigo Kurosaki, you are under arrest for High Treason." He squinted his eyes adjusted from the change in lighting. He was legitimately confused - since when did the Onmitsukidō betray Soul Society?

Thinking that he had heard incorrectly, he asked, "Excuse me?" The only response was the slapping of reiatsu binding cuffs on his wrists.

"What the hell is going on here?" Akio was stood, his hands already on his blade. "How dare you restrain your King!" With a single sweep, the Chief Liaison had knocked the most agile of the shinigami - the one who had bound Ichigo - onto his back, and held his blade at the shinobi's throat. The sword seemed to hum with bloodlust.

Said shinobi peered up into the single eye of the man above him, and saw hate - he saw raw, wild hate, he saw blinding devotion. He saw a feral wolf, brought to heel and told to attack.

Ichigo's vision finally cleared, and he saw that he was stood on Sokyoku Hill, as expected, facing the Repentance Tower. What was not expected was the horde of black-clad ninjas surrounding him, nor the sight of Yamamoto, Soi Fon and Renji running towards them.

"Stop! Stop you fools!" Yamamoto hands clasped Ryūjin Jakka, ready to draw - the situation was getting dire, and worsening with every passing moment.

"Captain Commander, we are only acting on orders, sir."

"Whose?" Soi Fon's eyes were alight - she was about to kill someone. "Who gave the fucking order?"

By now, most of the Onmitsukidō were trembling, and if Ichigo wasn't as caught between anger and total disbelief, he probably would have too. "My Lady, we were told directly from Central 46."

Soi Fon and Yamamoto both rocked back, thinking in tandem.

 _Those fools. Those goddamn fools._

"Central 46?" Once again, Ichigo donned the polite tone of voice that now heralded destruction. "Of course."

"My boy, I tried all that I could to dissuade them, but they merely claimed that all they had to go on was hearsay. But, my boy, don't kill them. The chaos that would ensue in Soul Society would be immeasurable. You would indirectly be responsible for innumerable deaths. I-"

"I won't kill them." _I'll ruin them._ Dead eyes peered out on the crowd. "Take me to Central 46. I will receive my sentencing." All on the Hill looked at him in shock - all save for Soi Fon, Yamamoto and Akio. They had seen those dead eyes before, and knew what they meant. Perhaps what happened today wouldn't be as personal as what Ichigo had done to Byakuya, but it would no doubt be just as biblical.

"Berry, the hell has happened?" Renji had already cleared Zabimaru from its sheath, eyes darting from ninja to ninja, looking to see if a fight was about to kick off, ready to jump in and start protecting his friend who was currently unable to do so himself.

Soi Fon broke through the crowd and fell to her hands and knees at the King. "Please, my Lord, accept my most sincere of apologies. My shame is omnipresent - I should have trained my Onmitsukidō better, I should have-"

"No." She looked up in confusion, before caching herself and dropping her gaze again. "Stand, Soi Fon. You will return to Captain Yamamoto, and you will not beg forgiveness. You have done nothing to forgive." She stood, eyes portals of insecurity and fear, before bowing deeply, and retreating through the crowd. The Onmitsukidō watched the exchanged raptly - half in total disbelief, the other in crawling dread. Renji stood, still watching the crowd, slowly angling himself to stand by the King.

Akio stood, releasing the shinobi whose pants were steaming, eyes still visions of Hell. The reiatsu binders around Ichigo's wrists disintegrated, his rising reiatsu too much for them to restrict. "My Commander would be unimpressed if she was not informed of what has happened here, my Lord. May I-"

"Tell her. Tell her everything. And tell her to come to me after I am finished." The phrasing was not missed. Akio suppressed a smile, while Yamamoto sighed. What happened that day would change Seireitei in a way that had not been seen since the Spirit King _made_ the Central 46. And Yamamoto worried that it may not be for the better.

* * *

The doors exploded, blowing off of their hinges and grinding along the floor. "Since when did Central 46 decide that it was an authority above the Spirit King?" Shoes clicked across the tiles. "Was it the Agreement of Acquisition in 1612? Was it the Unification of the Military Act in 1679?" The pale King stood in the center of the chamber, 46 pairs of eyes looking down in shock. "Or was it yesterday, when you decided to have me tried as a traitor?"

Silenced roared loudly, deafeningly. "I-Ichigo Kurosaki?" A small voice in the stands asked.

"Why is he not bound?"

"Where is the Onmitsukidō? Where they not meant to detain him?"

What started as a single voice soon snowballed into a torrent of 46 voices, all trying to talk over one another, trying to find out why the boy in front of them was not bound, was not followed by the entirety of the Onmitsukidō, and was not afraid - he was stood in front of the Central 46, the most supreme authority there was. How, just _how_ could he be so uncaring, so unaffected by them?

The King stared and listened in disgust. The shouting and yelling grew to an immense level, the voices echoing around the high ceiling.

" ** _Enough!_** " The room immediately fell silent, as a legion of damned souls screamed in terror, in anger, and the tiled flooring split, cracks shooting out from where the King stood. " ** _You will be silent!_** "

The only sound was the shallow breathing of the Central 46 members.

The King raked his gaze across each and every single member. They all leaned back, trying to flee from the hellish demon that seemed to judge them all with a glance, and invariably found them wanting. The King did not see a single representative from any of the Noble families. It seemed that the reformed Central 46 mainly consisted of men and women of a reiatsu level lower than that of a Lieutenant, some only releasing the barest trace. Each of the 46 had been given their position by someone else who was on the stands beside them - and yet they were all willing to stab one another in the back, with the hopes that they could escape their inevitable punishment. It was rotten to the core.

"Six Judges and forty Wise Men? Comedic. Six Judas' and forty Fools." They shared looks, glancing at one another. They all seemed to be looking for an escape, and were looking at what they once may have considered comrades to give it to them.

"U-uh, it was Daisuke, he p-proposed that you-" A man turned in anger

"Me? You - you lie! It was not me, but Etsuko that-" A woman turned in disbelief.

"You traitorous swine! It was you, you said that-"

Cracks ran up the walls, the tiles on the floor now beginning to disintegrate as the King swamped the chamber with his reiatsu. The fledgling riot fell silent, all of the 46 clasping their throats with faces the visage of agony. A few seconds of purgatory, in which many nearly passed out, the pressure was released.

"You are all pathetic. You scheme, and you plot. You put up a facade of justice, the justice you are meant to stand for, and yet it is wooden, with termites eating at the legs of it. You all claim to be a unified court, an authority of equality and fairness, while within the chamber you try to back stab and lie. Moreover, you are all weak. Weak in character, and weak in strength.

"You wouldn't last for even a second in a fair fight with a captain, and if any captain appeared to challenge any of you, you would merely have them labeled as a traitor. Have them killed." He laughed, a harsh, sharp bark. "And now, as the single person that could, in a legal sense in any case, dwarf you, I find that you want to have me removed from the equation. Keep that power in amongst yourselves."

The 46 trembled. "M-my Lord, we simply d-didn't know. We simply wanted to p-protect you from any pretenders!"

"No! Don't you lie to _me_!" The King strode to the man who had spoken and threw him into the middle of the room, as though _he_ was on trial. Which, in a sense, he was - in a trial with Ammit, perhaps. "You dare? You dare to lie to your _King_? You dare think the King to be so weak to need _your_ protection from defenders?" The man was lifted by his front, brought face to face with the angry God. "You insult _me_ in _your_ den of filth?" The man was thrown back, hitting the sigil of the Central 46 emblazoned on the face of the wooden stands and falling back to the floor. Quivering, he tried to sit up, hands flying to his face to protect himself.

"I could kill you now." The King opened a clenched fist, and a white flame began to grow from within it. Wisps of white reiatsu rose from his hand, his face illuminated and shadowed by the unearthly fire he held, casting a look that reminded many of the occupants of the room of the monsters that once hid under their beds. "I could erase you from existence." The flame danced around his fingers. "I could destroy you so thoroughly," he reached out, hand extended as the flame began to whip around his arm, "that your soul would be totally annihilated."

He pointed a finger at the man.

White light blinded the entirety of the Central 46, screams of terror echoing around the hall, while a rip of thunder deafened them all.

When their eyesight slowly, gradually returned, the King was gone. Ash hung in the air, as though caught in the folds of the fabric of time.

And the man shook. Eyes wide open, bulging out as he lay, back leaning against what was the sigil of the Central 46, very much still alive.

But the sigil was destroyed, a huge scorch mark blackening the entirety of the front of the stands and annihilating the insignia that had signified so much power, meant so much authority. It was erased, as if it had never existed in the first place.

In its place, a burning white dragon was emblazoned - the Sigil for the Tengoku Gādo-tai.

* * *

 **A.N - Damn Ichi, you scurry. Yep, here it is, the nasty ass trashing of Central 46. No Ichi-Ruki here, no lovely moments - except, maybe, Renji's concern for Ichigo - just plain and simple ruining.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviews - Mugetsu, I get what you're saying, sometimes people just can't be bothered to review, and I get that. But it means so much because some _could_ be bothered to leave one. It's one of the only ways I can communicate with you guys, and as such, it really is quite important to me - not to say that I don't value those that follow me or favorite me, but it just means that little bit more when I see that someone took time out to write to me. Nevertheless, you guys are all awesome. Thanks for coming on this ride - we aren't done yet folks! ****We aren't even close.**

 **And, by the way, there may not be any content from me in the next few days - going to the hospital. Nothing serious, but something that will put me out of commission for a few days, so content will slow for a bit.**

 **Review, follow and favorite, not only does it make my day, but it helps to increase the exposure of the fic, and gets more people reading it too.**


	10. Chapter 10

"My Lord, Chief Liaison Himura informed me that you desired my presence?" The elderly woman was without her mask - a rarity, but one Ichigo was pleased to see - he needed to be reminded that everyone around him were people too.

"Yeah, what else did he tell you?" He asked, eyes slowly regaining their life.

"He said that you had been grievously wronged by Central 46, and that you had been put on trial for High Treason." She smothered a snarl, obviously enraged at the thought.

"Mm. I would like you to replace every single member of Central 46, and get someone, only someone you trust explicitly, drafting legislation stating that the Onmitsukidō is a separate institution, answerable only to the Captain of the 2nd Division, and incidentally, the Captain Commander. If you can, also give this person unimpeded access to the records of the 46. Have him review every Central 46 decision made in the last four years, and give me a list of all suspect ones."

"Yes, my Lord. Is there anything else?"

"No, that's everything. Thanks Chiyoko." She bowed, and disappeared to complete her Lord's wishes. As he watched her retreat, he held his breath, in...and released it slowly, out. God, he was tired. The prospect of going to Yamamoto's and having tea with the man had never seemed so appealing (and he recalled his earlier dismissal of the prospect with humor), but he knew what he had to do before he could even think about rest.

Ichigo turned and walked straight, headed for the 13th Barracks.

* * *

The door creaked open, Rukia's head peering out from the small crack. "Who's there?"

"It's me." He spoke, his voice was tight.

"Oh," The door opened immediately, "Hey. You're back?"

"Yeah," The two of them walked into Rukia's office, "Got back earlier today. Have you heard?"

"About what?" Her face fell into one of concern. "You don't have to leave earlier, do you?" She started to look worried - incredibly so.

"No, not that. Central 46. They wanted me labeled as a traitor, for being a pretender to the throne."

Her eyes widened as she gritted her teeth. "Unbelievable."

"I know. None of them should be there - they're all corrupt, all weak, all there only on the merits of someone else in the Chamber. So, I'm having them replaced - all of them." He realized that he was pacing. "I could have lost it in there, Rukia. I came so close to killing them all. I came so goddamn close, and no one could have stopped me."

He stood, stock still as a new thought occurred to him. "What if I can't be a King? What if I screw this up? What if I become a tyrant, a despot? No one could stop me, the damage I could do, and no-"

He was interrupted by a slap. "Idiot! Stop worrying. The more you panic, the worse you're gonna make things for yourself! Calm down, now, before you stress yourself into fucking 4th again!"

A few minutes later, when he's calmed down, he stood up again. "Thanks Rukia. I needed that."

"Don't mention it. And don't do it again. You'll be a great King. The fact that you're afraid of not shows that you are fit for it. And, in any case, you have me. I'll always be around to support you. Or to hurt you, if you go crazy." A few moments of calm pervaded across the room, as Ichigo slowly regained his breath, and Rukia watched him worry shielded in her eyes.

"Rukia, come with me." The silence shattered.

"What?"

"Come with me to the King's Realm." She stood, shocked, staring at the man on the floor that she knew she loved, but couldn't admit it. "I know you have things you need to do here, and all. But, Rukia, we've just started whatever we..." He gestured at her, and then back to him. "...you know, this. I don't want it to go after just two weeks."

"I'll..." He held his breath, hoping beyond all hope that she would say yes.

"...I'll think about it." Ichigo smiled. He couldn't have asked for more.

* * *

For the first time in what felt like an age, Ichigo and Yamamoto drank tea together. The steam from their drinks pooled at the top of the room, creating the impression of an interior cloud layer. But neither of the two were looking at the roof.

"My boy, it's gone fairly smoothly - as to be expected, I would suppose." He mused, stroking his long beard.

"How are the new 46?" Ichigo smiled behind his cup.

"Much better - more powerful, more just, less corrupt." A rattling sigh. "It's merely the upheaval that went with it."

"How many people have died?"

"To our best estimates, very few. However, that does not include the lower districts of Rukongai, since the deaths there are so rampant, so there is no real way to know." Ichigo nodded, somewhat pleased, and turned back to his drink.

They sat in companionship for a short while. "So, my boy, how are you and Rukia?"

Ichigo smiled, more used to Yamamoto's almost intrusive-but-not-quite questionings. "Well, I think we're alright. We realized that we both had feelings for each other a long time ago, and I think we're okay." Yamamoto nodded, happy for the new couple. "I've asked her to come with me to the King's Realm."

At this, the old man's eyes widened, almost coughing on his tea. "Ichigo, you've asked her to go to the King's Realm? My boy, the dangers of this are incredible!"

Ichigo frowned, scowl deepening. "Hang on, old man, she hasn't even said that she'll go yet. And what dangers are you talking about?"

"If the Usurper catches wind of this - the consequences would be severe. He would stop at nothing to capture her, to use her against you. And, in no disrespect against Lieutenant Rukia, but she wouldn't be able to combat a single enemy over there. They would all easily beat her - she is apt in combat, there is no disagreeing in this, but the Royal Guard are trained to kill any possible threat - including an uprising from the Gotei 13. She wouldn't last a second."

"Then we can train. Surely, if I'm meant to be a God, there is some way I can help her?"

"My boy...I truly do not know. But please, for Lieutenant Rukia's sake, please reconsider." Ichigo sat back, one hand on the desk and the other holding his brow.

"I'll talk to her. I'll tell her the dangers. But if she decides that she wants to come, I won't stop her old man. You realize that I want her to come. If she wants to come as well, there's nothing that will stop her." Ichigo didn't voice his concerns that if he left her, their relationship would collapse, like the man's in front of him, and for once, Yamamoto was blissfully unaware of the comparisons between Ichigo and Rukia's situation and his and Chiyoko's.

They lapsed back into a silence, both thinking about the same thing, one with hope, the other in worry. The only difference from every other time they had done so, is that they wanted exactly the opposite thing to happen.

For the first time since Ichigo's discovered his heritage, he and Yamamoto were opposed - not hugely, but they were still at the opposing ends of agreement. And that concerned him even more.

* * *

"Master Shin, thank you for coming." The old man chuckled, a wheezing, laboured sound.

"No, no. It's my pleasure to see you again my girl. How are you?" The old woman rolled her eyes - the man was impossible sometimes.

"I am well, sir."

"No, no, no titles here. You and I are too close for that my dear." The stooped man gently elbowed her and smiled. "I remember when you came to Ō No Rerumu. Bright eyed, young, and with no grey hairs-"

"Hey!" She looked indignant, before catching herself, pulling a dour face. His frail body doubled over in laughter. After a few minutes of long, wheezing giggles, the man began to right himself.

"Oh, oh, my girl. Still so easy to rile up." A gaunt, liver-spotted hand wiped away tears. "Ah, I'm glad I can still do that. So, what can this old man do for you?"

Chiyoko eventually dropped the pretence - he was right, they had known each other for over 500 years now, and she had always seen the old man as a mentor, a sensei, and a father. Even when he seemed hell-bent on getting on her nerves.

"It's not for me, but our King. He wants you to draft some legislation for him, and wants you to look through records of the last four years for signs of corruption in the Central 46." Letting an easy smile slide on her face, she gently elbowed the old man back. "He's young, and headstrong, though he hides it well, and I've never felt more hope."

"My dear, I would be all too happy to help the young man. When do we leave?"

She draped an arm across his back. "Now."

The two disappeared in a swirl of white.

* * *

"Oh, I always feel so uneasy after dimension hopping." The old man swayed, before Chiyoko held his arm and back in support.

"Easy there old man, don't go pushing yourself now." He nodded, looking around where they had arrived.

"Where are we?" She paused, pondering her words.

"Outside the Captain Commander's office. He has been accommodating our King while he has stayed at Seireitei."

Despite the gentle hedging around, the old man had clued her out. "Captain Commander? The Yamamoto boy?" His previously green face turned curious. Chiyoko cursed the old man's wiliness.

"Yes, Yamamoto." She tried to look passive, pull her carefully managed facade of professionalism and stone-faced indifference that she had mastered over her tenure as the Commander of the Royal Guard.

Shin was not fooled. "Hm. We shall talk of this later, yes?"

Shit. It didn't work. "Yes, Shin. Now, let us introduce you to the King."

Three knocks at the door.

"You stay sat, old man, I'll get it." The King said, rising. He opened the office door to see Chiyoko stood next to an old man.

Well, old man didn't really encompass it. His head was covered in thin whispers of ivory hair, and dotted with liver spots. Grey, sharp eyes surrounded by laugh lines seemed to dance with mirth. His brow looked like shirt that had been left on the floor, crumpled, for a decade, while a large, bulbous nose squatted above thin lips. Flushed, sagged cheeks gave the man an almost mischievous look. A long beard tickled it's way down his front, which was covered in loosely-fitting brown robes. Gnarled and ancient hands trembled holding a wooden cane in one hand, and a book in the other.

The most striking thing Ichigo noticed was the bare, weathered arms. They were covered, completely, in various scripts from a multitude of, some long dead, cultures.

"My Lord, I would like to introduce you to Master Shin Kangae, Keeper of the King's Archives and Library. He is my choice for drafting the legislation, and examining the archives of Central 46."

"Nice to meet you, sir." The boy felt like the only sensible thing to do in the face of such an wizened being was to bow.

"Oh, well, none of that lad. If anything it is me that should be bowing." He leant in, whispering conspiratorially, "But I hope you don't mind if I don't - I doubt I would get back up again!" The ancient man then rocked back, his laugh booming out, somewhere between a wheeze and a cough. "Oh, oh my. Well, if it's okay to you my boy, I'll look at the archives first."

"Of course! Chiyoko, can you escort and protect him? Yamamoto and I are just talking about something right now."

"Of course, my Lord."

She bowed, turning with Shin.

"Alright, what were we saying, old man?"

* * *

"You know, he seems like a nice lad." The archiver idly commented, his fingers and eyes moving in a flurry across the records of the Central 46 sessions, so fast that even Chiyoko couldn't discern the movements.

"It's not my place to make judgments, you know that Shin." The large hall was silent for a few moments. "But then, I have to agree. He seems just, seems fair. I think he was quite shocked at seeing you there."

"Oh?" Shin replied conversationally, moving onto the 100th 10,000 page record book on the court sessions. "What do you think shocked him, my age, or my markings?"

Chiyoko absently sharpened her blade and polished her mask, listening to the almost indiscernibly quick flutters of paper as the pages turned. "Oh, definitely your age. The oldest person he's met is Yamamoto. You eclipse him by...what?"

"20,000 years, give or take." He smiled - when people heard his age, they always seemed to be surprised. "But I like to imagine that my youthful disposition serves to cut a few short millennia off."

"Yeah, you know, just twenty millennia. A mere grain of sand in the hourglass of time." She retorted, dripping with sarcasm.

"Eh? Oh, that's just...never mind."

"What's the problem?"

"Nothing, just a miss-read." She inclined her head, and the two lapsed back into silence.

After about an hour, Chiyoko was on to polishing the rest of her armor, while Shin had gotten to book 600. And then suddenly stopped. The fluttery background noise that had been constant for the last hour was absent. The room felt suddenly very empty.

"Shin? What's happened?" He didn't reply. He just kept staring at a single page. "Shin?"

"Shh!" In the instant that he turned towards her, she saw his eyes, usually carefree and joyful, totally shocked, and with a hint of fear.

A few more agonizing moments of silence where Chiyoko, by instinct, grabbed her blade, and the sound of pages flying started up again. But unlike the last time, where it was quiet and filtered into the background, now it echoed around the hall.

Thirty seconds of deafening page turns, and silence once again. Shin stood, gaping at two open books.

"That bad?" He turned to her, and to her he looked as though he was about to crumble away, as though each of those 20,000 years were about to crash on him and turn him into dust on the wind.

"I...it looked like a misread. Central 46...it's been...in contact...with the King's Realm." Chiyoko's eyes widened. "It's been receiving...bribes." He sucked in a breath through chattering teeth. "The command was him. It was from him, the call for the King to be executed as a pretender.

"It was the Usurper."

Time ground to a halt, and Chiyoko realized that she couldn't feel her feet, that the numbness was creeping up her legs, that there was only one way that the Central 46 would have been receiving bribes, would have been receiving orders.

"They were given through an anonymous contact...who hid their face, and their reiatsu. Someone loyal to the Usurper...someone that either lived in Seireitei, or was a high-ranking member of the Royal Guard - enough to know how to travel the dimensions with ease."

There were only four people who knew how to do that. Two of them were stood in this room. The other two had come with Chiyoko in the first place.

"Either way, the King must know - we have a traitor in our midst."

* * *

 **A.N - Well, hello there. Been a while, hasn't it? The hospital issue was slightly more pressing than expected, but all's good now. Updates will be slow, but hopefully will slowly speed up. No promises though.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed and left me well wishes - it was lovely to see them :)**

 **So, as always, review, favorite, follow and share this story, it helps to see feedback and I love to see more and more people interested in something I began at summer.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Then who could it be?" Ichigo, Shin, Chiyoko and Yamamoto sat, huddled around a table, a list of names scrawled across a piece of paper.

"It can't be Rukia or Renji, we've known each other for so long - long before any of this came to light."

"The Usurper is excellent at bending loyalties, lad - he could easily convince them that it is the best hope for you to not sit on the throne." Shin watched his King with melancholy eyes.

"We are forgetting that two of the four people that could have actually been in contact with the Usurper and then come to Seireitei are in this room." Yamamoto pointed out, eyebrows raised in suspicion. "Perhaps we can trust you two, but what of the other two? Can you totally vouch for their loyalties?"

Chiyoko and Shin shared a look - the idea had crossed their minds. "They are two of the highest echelons in the Royal Guard - they've been with me for years. Sensei Inoue and Chief Liaison Akio have been my most trusted subordinates - that's why they were chosen to come to protect our King." Chiyoko breathed deeply. "If they - either one - are traitors, we must prepare for...unforeseen consequences."

Ichigo looked up from the sheet of paper. "Such as?"

"If Himura is a traitor, all of our communications and transport between the Realms become effectively cut off." The other three closed their eyes in anxiety. "If Inoue is the traitor, god knows how many of our recruits may be on the Usurper's side, and how deeply the Noble Houses in the King's Realm are entrenched with the Usurper."

The room was silent.

"What if it's someone totally left of field? Someone we haven't yet even considered?" Three turned towards Ichigo. "Well, only Lieutenants and Captains get paid enough to afford blowing off the entirety of Central 46, while staying powerful enough to cloak their reiatsu. What if it's one of the Captains?"

"Well, who would have the motive to betray you?" A name rang out, even as Yamamoto asked the question.

"Where's Byakuya?"

* * *

The Kuchiki Manor was empty. It was a rare occurrence, but it did happen - rare, because usually there would be a servant, an elder, anyone patrolling the halls and filling a room. But tonight, the entire complex was desolate. The elders had been called to a meeting with Ichigo's - or, the King's - representatives, to discuss the recent changes in Central 46, the servants told to leave the complex and take time to be with their families. Byakuya stood on the threshold of the entrance, staring at the front door.

Over the last week, he had spent hours upon hours in the memorial garden, soul-searching and thinking deeply - mostly, in regards to Ichigo Kurosaki, the Heir Apparent to the King's Throne.

The boy had not seen eye to eye with him for years - indeed, they had even been enemies of a kind recently - mostly due to Byakuya's over-protectiveness of Rukia, Ichigo's closeness to Rukia, and the fact that Byakuya was going to stand by and let her be executed, while Ichigo fought through Soul Society to save her all those years ago. The thought that Rukia could have been killed without the boy - it sent shame shooting through him.

He'd realized that he should have acted, that Kurosaki was right, that he should have protested, should have protected her. He realized, after so many years, that his obligation to the law mattered little, when he knew that the law was so unjust. He realized that he owed Ichigo. And his jealousy, his misplaced zeal, his projected self-disgust that he let loose towards an innocent father and a righteous son alienated the two. He could only hope that the damage done wasn't permanent, that he could fix it with the boy - if he could not, then it would only be his burden to bear, and his own mistake.

Treading, eyes downcast, to the door, he noticed something in the corner of his eye - the window to his office was ajar. It was never ajar.

One hand gripping Senbonzakura, the other on the door, he cautiously entered the building. Making his way through the shadowed halls, and the darkened corridors, he eventually reached his office.

He threw his door open, and saw nothing but two glowing purple irises staring out from the darkness.

He stood, frozen, fear paralysing his very muscles. He eventually managed to muster enough self-control to speak. "I-Ichigo? Is that- is that you?"

"We haven't spoken for a while. How are you, Byakuya?" Silence stretched out between them, absence filling the void.

"I- I wanted to speak with you for a while now." The irises narrowed.

" _Oh_?" His voice was cold and heavy. Filled with disdain. Byakuya closed his eyes, and tried to prepare himself.

"I...apologise. I was a fool." He licked his lips. "In trying to protect the honour of my family, I acted childishly. In trying to protect Rukia, I only held her back, or put her directly in harm's way. And, my treatment of you, and your father, was...disgraceful. I can only apologise, and hope that you forgive me."

The irises widened. He could hear the sincerity in Byakuya's tone, and realised that he had more to say, but staying true to form, would reveal it all later. If Ichigo had not have come here with the suspicion of Byakuya's traitorous acts, he would have forgiven him. However, he had.

"Well, thank you Byakuya. Take a chair. I want to talk." Ichigo obviously was not impressed by Byakuya's apology, as he'd expected, so he heaved a sigh, and sat down. "Tea?" The eyes did not leave him, even as a pale, black nailed hand emerged from the inky blackness, and handed him a cup of tea. They drank, one cloaked in the shadow, eyeing the other with apprehension and distrust, the other illuminated by the moonlight filtering in through the open window, regarding the other with anxiety and melancholy.

"I'll assume you've heard about Central 46?"

"Mm. I'm not surprised to hear of their corruption." The irises rolled, a scoff echoing from the shadow.

"You don't know the half of it." And then, finally, he leaned in. "Then again, maybe you do." The moonlight struck his ivory face, casting him in a ghostly aura. While Byakuya had waited, in anxiety, for Ichigo to reveal himself, to be more than a predator's eyes in the dark, upon seeing the reveal, he was not so sure.

He looked murderous. He looked like a demon. He looked as though Byakuya was about to die. It wasn't the righteous, focused anger of the God that Byakuya took the full brunt of, but a fiery, raw anger, the one that had hid beneath the surface of the last time they had met, kept barely in check by scraps of civility and humanity, but clawing at the chains, begging to be released.

"What did you spend it on?"

Byakuya swallowed, trying to stifle his fear. "Spend what on?"

His face softened, hard lines smoothing into warmth as he laughed a hearty, full laugh, throwing his head back. The eyes, when they refocused on him, were dead.

"Your thirty pieces of silver, of course."

Three figures burst into the room. The first, an elderly woman, muscled and strong, body torn by scars, strode to the seated captain and twisted his arms behind his back, forcing his head down onto the table. The second was an ancient man, arms covered in tattooed script, stooped over a wooden cane. The third - the third was Yamamoto.

"I hope you are comfortable in that position, because you won't be leaving it until we get answers." Byakuya couldn't manoeuvre well, but he turned his head to meet the Captain Commander.

"Sir, what-?"

"It's an inquisition." The King interrupted. "Someone, currently in Seireitei, has betrayed us to the Usurper - paid Central 46 to have me executed," He scoffed, "as well as that went for them, and has done god knows what else. And _we_ think that it's you."

"Kurosaki, I-" Chiyoko twisted his arms.

"You will refer to him as your King!"

"What the- What's going on here? Why me?"

"Is it not obvious, boy?" Yamamoto stood up to the plate. "Disrespect to the King, resentment after your humiliation by him, ties to the Central 46 - for God's sake, you may not have had any family members in the chamber, but you knew everyone who was! - not to mention, the monetary capacity to pay off the entirety of the chamber, and not even make a dent in the family fortunes."

"Look, I- I've already apologised for-"

"Come now boy. If you confess-"

"Fuck's sake Byakuya, we know it's you. I just wanna know why-"

"It's not me! Goddamnit, I only just heard from R-"

"Stop moving, or I'll break your arm."

"This is unbelievable! I just got back from-"

 _Crack._

The sound bounded back and forth twice. A small eternity pulled out, before the pain registered, and Byakuya released an immense scream. He slumped and slowly rolled off of the desk, landing in an undignified pile, pooled at the feet of Chiyoko, who still held his other arm. The other was resting, bent at an unnatural angle, on the floor.

The faces in the room were all pulled differently - Yamamoto's in veiled sympathy, Chin's in pity, Chiyoko's in focused anger, and Ichigo's in disgust.

"Jesus." Ichigo's eyes averted - the others couldn't tell if it was in disdain or pity. For a period of minutes, no one spoke - in fear of breaking the fragile peace.

"You-Christ-you, just..." His pained eyes seemed to lighted momentarily in realization. "Wait." He drew a rattling breath, and determined not to show any more weakness, shakily rose to his feet, the arm clasped by Chiyoko becoming a trembling crutch as the other swung limply, forearm bent unnaturally.

"You-arh- just said something about a bribe?"

They looked at him in confusion.

"Yes. A large bribe. What was it, Master Shin?"

"One hundred thousand, paid in two installments." The man's voice crackled with age.

"Then...check our finance records! Please, they give detailed accounts for all the money coming in to this family, tracing back to since before I came to be the head of the family. Look at those - there was no bribe."

Shin turned to leave, grumbling under his breath. "Yes, I'm on it."

* * *

After three hours, during which Byakuya's had been moved, stripped of weapons and bound - gently, to avoid the agitation of his broken arm - Shin returned to the office, Ichigo and Yamamoto in tow.

"He's right - we've even checked their records against the ones kept by the Central 46, the Sixth Division's personal ones on his pay, and the official records published yesterday. It all checks out - there's no way he could have paid the bribe."

Ichigo looked at him with apologetic eyes. "Well, it appears that now, I've made the foolish mistake, eh?"

Byakuya rose. "Heh." He croaked, with an exasperated yet pained look. "All's forgiven." The dark glance he shot Chiyoko, however, was not nearly as amiable. "Can I be enlightened on why I just had my arm broken, and been accused a traitor?"

The four shared glances, before Ichigo eventually turned back to him. "Well, as you've probably gathered, we've a traitor in our midst. My recent...encounter with Central 46 was an attempt to have me disposed by this traitor. We need to know who it is, and since very few people could have the money to pay the bribe - only Captains and Lieutenants, really - your name came up repeatedly, mostly due to..."

"...Last week's Captain's meeting." Byakuya nodded with a torn facial expression. They fell silent. Turning to the other three, Ichigo asked them to leave them alone for a moment, to talk with Byakuya.

"Look. Kuchiki, I'm not gonna lie. What you did, last week, is in some people's eyes unforgivable. I'm not one of them, but Yamamoto and Commander Fujioka are." He rocked back on his heels, looking severely at Byakuya. "Your apology was heartfelt. You have more to say, I know it, but it's unnecessary. However," He sighed, "I'm still struggling to forgive you for what you did to my father. I know, it isn't a black and white thing - my father probably provoked you just as much as you provoked him - but I still cannot forgive you for that."

"I understand. To be frank, I didn't expect you to take the apology at all. It's somewhat of a relief."

"The same goes for me. I'm glad to know that you aren't a traitorous asshole." Ichigo grinned.

Byakuya felt some slivers of calm pervade through him. Shoulders slumping, relieved, he finally let a thankful smile rest on Ichigo.

"Just an ordinary asshole." The smile slid off.

* * *

"Of course, My Lord." He bowed, and left. His mission was clear - tail the Liar into the King's Realm and give updates on his situation. There would be no better time - since his previous mission was a colossal failure - and he could, in the process report on the Liar's movements.

Walking out into the harsh Seireitei sun, he smirked, used a cowl to disguise his face and hair, and headed towards Seireitei to work on Rukia.

* * *

"Captain Hitsugaya." Rukia bowed to the small captain. He smiled warmly - a rarity for the usually icy captain. "What brings you to Squad 13?"

"You have, actually." The smile dropped from his face, and became serious. "The Captain-Commander has asked me to talk to you, in regards to the King, and the possibility of you going to the King's Realm with him." She looked surprised - not expecting anyone to know yet.

"Yes, Ichi- the King has talked to me about it. Why?"

"He's concerned that you will be...err, outclassed, if you will, out there." She took it as an insult, reeling back. "Please don't be offended, but the Commander told me to tell you to ask the King about it, and to ask you not to go." The room was quiet for a few moments.

"Well. Thank you Captain." Her tone was still polite, but now held a core of steel. "If that is all, I shall take my leave." As she left, Hitsugaya scowled. He would be displeased.

* * *

"Renji, can you believe this?" She burst into the red-head's office and began pacing up and down. He jumped, turning from his desk.

"Rukia? I was just about to come see- the hell is wrong with you?"

"The Captain Commander doesn't believe that I'm strong enough to go to the King's Realm with Ichigo. The nerve! Goddamnit, both me and Ichigo killed Aizen, not Yamamoto. And he then says I'm not strong enough?" She growled, slowly turning red.

"Calm down Rukia, the hell is going on?" She paused and looked at Renji with slowly cooling eyes.

"Ichigo wants me to go with him to the King's Realm. Yamamoto thinks-"

"Is he insane?" Renji launched forward, now furious. "You'd-you'd- you can't go! They would tear you apart there! The King's Guard make Aizen look like-like- like nothing! The Usurper's ones would kill, no, would destroy you- could do the same to Ichigo!"

"Oh really? And how do you know? I could be fucking fine!" Angry violet eyes thinned. "And I don't need you to start on me _as_ _well_ as Yamamoto! Asshole!" She turned, storming from the office. He stood watching her leave, the image of concern.

* * *

"Miss Kuchiki, may I speak to you for a moment?" Rukia span, venom on her tongue, before she saw the Royal Guardsman with the eyepatch - Ako? No, Akio - and the fire died.

"Oh, good afternoon Sir." She bowed at the waist, with him smirking in response.

"Ah, we don't need that, do we ma'am?" The smirk turned serious. "My Lord, the King, wanted me to escort you to the Captain Commander's barracks.

"Hm. Very well, what's it about?" He began to fidget - microscopically, but to Rukia's experienced eyes it was still obviously there.

"I, uh, believe that the King wishes to discuss you going to the King's Realm with him." They were silent - Rukia in slowly growing anger, Akio in trepidation. "He wants to talk about possible dangers - mostly under command from the Captain Commander - that may be in the King's Realm."

"Fantastic." The chilly tone shut up Akio immediately. They walked straight to the office, no detours, and no conversation. Akio had never been in such an awkward situation.

* * *

"My Lord...we have a complication." The shimmering image frowned.

"My Faithful, you had corresponded with me earlier this very day. This had better be something of great import." The figure sighed.

"My Lord... Rukia refuses to listen to me. It appears she already had known about the Liar's intentions."

The visage stilled, eyes boring into the figure's shadowed own. "You mean to tell me...that you failed?" The distorted voice warbled, the image rippling with the anger leaching out of it.

"No! No, My Lord, I will continue to work on the girl. Even if I have to trap her, she will not leave this realm."

"Good." The ethereal image began to turn before it stalled, and looked over to the figure now panting to calm his heart. "And if you do not, you will be made an example of."

The image sputtered, pale blue glow blinking against the walls of the alleyway, before blackness reclaimed it.

* * *

 **A.N - Sorry all! I really should have tried to update earlier, but between college kicking off again, and my illness flaring back up I haven't had the time. I'm going to be updating as much as I can, but don't be expecting updates as fast as they were in the summer holidays - I simply don't have the time at the moment.**

 **Nonetheless, thanks for coming back if you've already read this story, and if you're new, thanks for getting this far :) Don't forget to review, favorite and follow this story - I swear, it will update. One day.**

 **AND - I want to know - who do you guys think the traitor is? I know,but I don't know if you know. So I wanna know if you know what I know, so I can know if what I know is what you know, and know to ask you if what you know - and maybe what I know - is a twist. You know?**


	12. Chapter 12

"Shit." Crashing to the floor, trying to scramble for some clothes - anything would do - Ichigo rubbed his eyes against the low morning sun filtering through the cracks in the shutters, and opened the door.

"Oh, I apologize greatly my Lord, did I disturb you?" It was Katsuo. Well, here he was, the guy he had spoken to the least, and yet wanted to learn the most from.

"Nah, you didn't disturb me. Just," he bent over, cracking his back, "startled me is all. What's up?"

If Katsuo was amused by the heavy, sleep-laden tone and slurring that his King had spoken (which he was) he hid it well. "My King, it's about...Orihime."

The muted purple pools sharpened immediately, intensely focused on Katsuo. "Go on."

The man, in a rare moment of anxiety, raked his hand through his graying hair, and took a steadying breath. "She...she is of my family - of nobility." The King's eyes widened.

"Well...you'd better come in then. Let's...talk."

The pale armor glinted softly in the light of the room, golden mask casting shimmering reflections upon the walls. Ichigo sat at the desk in the corner of the room - Katsuo began to kneel.

"None of that, Katsuo. Just sit on my bed, eh?" The man righted himself and perched - awkwardly - on the edge of the bed.

"My Liege, as you may be aware, I conducted an investigation, as thorough as I could, into Orihime Inoue, your friend in the human world, and whom we suspected of being related to me. " at the nod, he continued, "Well, it appears that Miss Inoue is my granddaughter - stolen from the crib by her brother, and taken to the human world."

Ichigo was mostly silent, save for a quiet tapping of his foot. "Can this account for her...peculiar abilities?"

"Yes, my Lord. The family was blessed long ago by the King himself, so that it would bear heirs with powers of incredible healing - it would appear that she is manifesting these abilities now, even at her young age. She'll be," he smiled, and Ichigo saw a proud grandfather, "incredibly strong."

"So," Ichigo leaned back and rocked on the chair, "what does this mean for her? Will she also have to go to the King's Realm?" Katsuo shrugged,.

"To be honest, it's up to you, my Lord. You may decide if she goes, or if she stays. You still have three days, is it?" The King nodded, face turning somber. "Yes, three days, but If you do desire her to go the King's Realm, I would suggest taking her to the King's Realm separately from you - it will allow her entrance to the realm to be...more covert, shall we say?"

Ichigo was silent, thinking over his options. "Can I talk to her about this? I don't want to force any decisions on her - to take away her free will. Can I go and ask her?" He asked quietly, to the response of a twisting in the face from Katsuo.

"Yes, you could my Lord, but the travel to and from the realm...it would leave you, at most, an hour left, before you would have to leave to the King's Realm. However, perhaps if it were a single person travelling - a single person with a message...the time taken would be much shorter. This is..." He coughed, clearing his throat, "...another reason why I've come to you."

He moved from the bed to kneel, head lowered in front of Ichigo. Pushing on without letting Ichigo speak, he asked, "May _I_ go, my Lord, and send your message?" He spoke with such hope that Ichigo was somewhat taken aback.

"Well, surely Akio should go? Isn't he the Chief Liaison, the messenger?" Ichigo couldn't see the watery blue eyes close in despair.

"My Lord...it would. My reasons are merely selfish ones...but..." Katsuo trailed off, falling silent.

"Go on?"

"...I wish to see my granddaughter. Even if she says no, I merely want to meet her, talk to her. Just once."

"Okay..." Ichigo nodded, understanding and sympathizing - it was the same reason he went to visit Karakura a few short days ago, after all. "...Sure." The armored shoulders slackened, and Katsuo slowly rose to his feet.

"My Lord...thank you." He bowed, turned, and left. Ichigo stayed sat in the chair, wondering why on Earth Katsuo so dearly wanted to see Orihime - to be the one to send the message. He could feel deeper meaning broil beneath the surface of Katsuo's words, but didn't want to push the man.

He just had to hope that that deeper meaning wasn't a sinister one.

* * *

"Ma'am!" Akio bowed stiffly towards his commander.

"Yes, Chief Himura?" The elderly woman was cautious around the eye patch wearing guardsman - Akio couldn't discern why.

"If I may, I would like to head over to the King's Realm to begin preparations for the King's arrival." The golden mask over his face glowed in the warm Seireitei sun, even as it filtered past the roofs of the tall barrack houses of the First Division.

"Yes, you may." Her reply was terse, more so than usual. The guardsman could only bow, and thank the commander for the permission.

As he disappeared into a swirl of light, Chiyoko slowly exhaled through her nose. God, she hoped that the occasionally cheeky Liaison was not a traitor - if he was...well, she didn't like how much it would damage the plans for the Re-conquering of the King's Realm. She didn't like how intrinsic the messenger was to the upcoming war.

Most of all, she didn't like how little she could do about it if he was. She just had to sit back, protect the King, and wait.

Perhaps Chin needed some help reading, or whatever he was doing in the middle of the day.

* * *

"Ho! I remember this!" The corners of the ancient's mouth turned up in glee as gnarled and withered fingers traced the inky text. "What an affair. You _must_ remember this one too!" He called out across the hall of the old Kuchiki library.

"Unless you're on 900AD onwards, then no." Chiyoko sat back, carefully polishing her mask - her favorite past-time - before yawning and casting a glance out across the courtyard bathed in the orange hue of the falling sun.

"Oh. Sorry. Just a bit out." The book was replaced back onto the shelf.

"By how much?" A grey eyebrow rose as the eyes focused back onto the mask.

"About 2000 years."

She snorted in response. The old man turned to look at the woman silhouetted by the amber sun, and started to think. Hobbling over, he eventually reached her, before sitting down with a 'whumpf' across from her.

"So. Yamamoto."

 _Oh, fuck it. I thought he'd forgotten._ "What about him?"

"Captain Commander, hmm?"

"Yep."

"Bet that came as a surprise."

"Not really."

"Oh?"

"He was always strong."

"Is that what attracted you to him?" Chiyoko sputtered, eyes flitting in surprise from the glistening mask (that was now covered in a fine mist of spit) to the elderly man with the now sly smile plastered across his face.

"Really, Shin? Really?" She turned back to the mask, wiping off the shimmering saliva. "But no. It wasn't that."

"Oh?" He leaned in, hand on his chin and elbow resting on the table, the picture of intrigued.

"No. It was his sense of honor."

"The same sense of honor that caused him to stay as you left?" _The old man always could be incredibly unsubtle at times._ She sat, looking at the golden, distorted mirror image of her own face, as cragged and wrinkled with age as it was.

"Yes. The very same one."

* * *

"You're sure?" Ichigo looked at Rukia with wide eyes. She smirked, and nodded slightly.

"Yes, I'm sure. I wanna come." She gently elbowed him in the ribs as they walked. "It'd be pretty interesting to see the King's Realm. That's pretty much the only reason I'm going." A sly glace and a coy smile shot to Ichigo.

"Oh, really?" He quipped, with mock indignation, "So, I suppose that you don't want any of...this-!" Grabbing her by the stomach, he swung her around while she screamed bloody murder, and Ichigo pretended to laugh maniacally.

"You bastard, put me down!" After a few wild kicks, one managed to hit him in the crotch. He immediately dropped her as his hands flew to his afflicted area.

"Oh, fuck!" He wheezed, doubling over. "Jesus Rukia, that was my-urhg!" While he coughed and spluttered, she suppressed giggles at the strange noises that he was making. It occurred to her that she had just kicked the _Spirit King_ directly in the crown jewels. She laughed all the more.

After the two recovered, they continued walking down the path leading away from the Repentance Tower. The two were known pretty much across the entirety of Seireitei as a couple now, but even then they weren't really ones for public displays of affection - they didn't hold hands, but occasionally they would hit each other instead. They wouldn't kiss, but would tear into one another in witty banter. They wouldn't hug, but fight instead. And yet, it worked. They enjoyed it, every second. With Ichigo around, Rukia could feel free and looser, out from under the oppressively protective thumb of her brother. With Rukia around, Ichigo could forget the looming impending war that reared its ugly head on the horizon.

They didn't kiss, hold hands, or hug in public. But they cared about one another in their own way - the same way they had done for the years since Aizen's death. Only now, they knew that the extent of that care was reciprocated.

* * *

The shadow sneered at the sight of the two laughing and talking, hating the sound of the harsh laughter of the Liar bouncing around, marring beautiful, full laugh of the raven-haired at his side. God, it was an abomination - to see such an evil creature next to one of pure light, of good. How could she not see that the beast next to her wanted to destroy? How could she not see that all he would do - could do - is annihilate?

How could she be so blind?

But it didn't matter. She would understand. Eventually.

Rukia wouldn't be going to the King's Realm - what was about to happen would make sure of that.

* * *

"Toushiro!"

"It's Capt- ah, sorry my King!" He bowed to the pale King. "I didn't know that it was you."

"For God's sake Toushiro, get up. No bowing. You and me have known each other for too long now, yeah? None of that crap. I really don't need it." The silver haired captain straightened, face a mixture between wanting to retort and restraining himself from back-talking to the King. Eventually, the second emotion won.

"Well, I can't help if _someone_ got such a hefty power boost to the point that they could crush me with a flick." The droll drone of the acerbic comment started both Rukia and Ichigo off again - laughing in tandem, while the diminutive shinigami in front of them rolled his eyes in good humor.

"So, why've you shown up around the Fourth Barracks, of all places?" All humor in Hitsugaya's posture dropped immediately.

"Well, I've been told that something is about to happen in one of the Infirmary's. A nasty rumor, but I need to investigate, and inform Captain Unohana."

"What _kind_ of something, Captain?" Rukia asked, curious and confused.

"I'm not entirely certain. But something big." He cast them a sideways glance. "Care to come with me?" Rukia and Ichigo looked at one another.

"Sure."

* * *

The shadow smirked. They were walking straight into the trap. Hell, if this worked, the Rightful King wouldn't even have to worry about the Liar - he could be dead, and Rukia would be safe, still in the Seireitei - two down in one fell swoop!

Perhaps if they didn't spring the trap, he would go and set it off himself, just to see the look on the Liar's face as he-

Never mind. The shadow shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. It wouldn't do to not be focused and potentially let this catch slip from his net.

* * *

"Oh, God no. Not this building." In front of them sat a large, low, white building that seemed to lack any specific markings or notations.

"How many people are inside?" Craning his head back to look at the looming King, Hitsugaya cast him a strange look.

"How many? Kurosaki, this is Central Infirm! Every single shinigami has been here, at one point or another! And right now, it could have as many as two hundred squad members! We need to evacu-" He was interrupted by a rumbling deep within the building, while orange flame spilt from the windows of the monolithic building in front of them. The three looked at each other, aghast, and each raced into the building.

* * *

Perfect! They'd fallen hook, line, and sinker. Now, all that he needed to do was to get Rukia out, and spring the trap.

* * *

They each split up; going to different rooms and wards of the medical center, smoke blearing their eyes as they ran.

"Get out! You need to get out of here!" Rukia barreled through burning doors, grabbing bleeding, dying patients by their arms and dragging them out. She screamed at a boy, not much younger than her, with no arm from the elbow down. The thin bandages were burning, both scarring and cauterizing the bleeding, torn mess of flesh underneath.

"Move it, move it! Get out, and get Unohana!" Hitsugaya corralled a group of ten shinigami out of a window, watching as grey smoke disguised red stains blossoming across white bandages from freshly split wounds.

"Run goddamnit! Get out of here!" Ichigo watched as a shinigami with a bleeding stump of a leg tried to run to an exit, falling hard on the hard marble floor and the viscera bathing it.

None questioned why – they had each felt the rumbling, all had heard the screaming, and they were all choking on the ash and smoke that filled the hospital.

* * *

"Where's Rukia?"

"I don't know – somewhere down that corridor!"

"We need to get out – you keep getting people out, I'll find Rukia!" The two, mouths filling with smoke and choking on the fumes, shouted over the rising crescendo of fear that rose and swamped the building, rich in terror and confusion. As Hitsugaya turned the corridor, sprinting through a fall of fire to find Rukia, Ichigo felt a pulse of somewhat familiar reiatsu. Shaking his head, he ran to the rooms with the remaining infirm, feet slipping in the trails of blood and gore that signified the escape of just under thirty three unseated shinigami.

At the third door thin dust and plaster began to fall from the ceiling. At the fourth, the rumbling from the bowels of the hospital and roaring from the inferno drowned all other noise out. At the fifth and final, the building trembled.

After just another seven had managed to flee, Ichigo ran back to the main foyer to find Rukia and Hitsugaya. The very foundations of the building vibrated. And then-

 ** _Crack!_**

The explosion rang all around, deafening. The ringing in his ears was crippling - disorientating and discombobulating. With bleared eyes, he saw the walls of the building disappearing in a fast, orange-red fireball. Deaf and almost blind, Ichigo limped, collapsing to weak knees and falling onto splintered walls as the ground behind him was slowly engulfed by the expanding blaze.

Suddenly, _light_.

He was outside. He kept running.

He managed to run out of the Fourth District, the hospital shrinking and getting smaller and smaller on the Horizon. Then the building finally, totally, detonated. The shockwave tore through the street, racing towards him, splitting buildings, as the fireball rose.

And then he saw light once more.

* * *

Everyone who had managed to evacuate the Fourth District stopped and looked towards the fourth. The patients, bleeding and lying in their spilt viscera only watched as the centerpiece of the Fourth Division, and the medical heart of Seireitei, was engulfed in a huge plume of rising smoke and ash. Orange warmed the plume as fires raged from the hospital, until, finally, the building exploded out – debris showing across Seireitei, the very pillars and walls of the building collapsing and flying outwards under the immense explosion.

* * *

Captain General Yamamoto stood in shock and fear. From the office balcony, he watched with a face of horror as smoke rose in a tower of oppressive terror, smothering Soul Society. Mouth slightly agape, he slumped.

"No." Yamamoto stood, frozen, stood, paralyzed, stood, scared.

As he uttered, he watched as the building was engulfed in an unbearable light – and then was replaced with a rising plume of smoke and fire. Shockwaves ripped through the Fourth Division barracks, destroying the entire District. Like black ink, the unfurling ash flowed out from the ruins of the Hospital, swamping and drowning the shattered roads that once acted as the veins of Seireitei. The shockwave finally hit the office, and Yamamoto flew back, landing roughly in the middle of his office.

Muscles finally unlocking, he clambered to his feet and rushed out, falling into the hordes of shinigami all trying to get to the Fourth.

Just then, it wasn't the Captain General, surrounded by his men. It was just another soldier, surrounded by his comrades, praying that he could help.

* * *

Unohana was blissfully unaware of the damage that had been wreaked on her own division – the men that she had lost. She was, in fact, asleep in the Eleventh Division barracks – a place she had managed to secure after blackmailing Kenpachi, just so that she could rest without the interference of her Squad. It was a rare occurrence for the Captain to take naps, but she had drained a large portion of reiatsu from intense healing sessions after a huge brawl at Eleventh, and as a medical professional she understood the necessity of rest after intense work.

"Captain! Captain, it's the-it's, it's- Central Infirm!" She only allowed her eyes to blur slightly before launching up, brushing past the disheveled and bloody shinigami, not thinking to ask him why she knew where she was. The view from the entrance of the barracks froze her – a coiling beast winding its way up into the sky, feet founded in the smoking, fiery shell of Central Infirm. She began to run towards the Hospital when it detonated for a second time. Unohana was knocked off of her feet by the shockwave and blinded by the impossible light. When she finally regained her senses, she was surrounded by a swarm of fellow shinigami. She slid into the mass, and began running towards her Division.

* * *

Chin and Chiyoko were quietly talking to one another, having moved on from their previously uncomfortable discussion, when they were interrupted by a huge boom, followed shortly after by the panicked voice of Katsuo at the door.

"Commander! You – Jesus, you have to see this!"

The three ran outside to see a slowly rising black mushroom cloud loom over half of Seireitei.

"Commander – the King!"

With just that terrified yell, the three joined the crowds running towards the Fourth.

* * *

Ichigo tried to crawl, tried to get away from the ebony cloud that smothered him, blinded him, deafened him, but it was pointless.

Rolling onto his back with a grunt, unfocussed eyes rolled about aimlessly, before sliding shut.

The cloud rolled on.

* * *

 **A.N - What? Another update so soon? What is this tomfoolery?! Yeah, don't get too comfortable with it, but this coming out so soon after the other (comparatively) is a sort of 'I'm sorry that I left for approximately 3 weeks, don't leave come back, baby no' sort of deal.**

 **IMPORTANT - Sorry for the caps here lads, but I wanted to draw your attentions to the poll that's on my profile, asking who you believe the traitor is. To access it, click on my name and it's at the top of my profile. This'll be really helpful to me, just so I can get a sense of what you guys are thinking at this moment in time.**

 **So - basically, the Hospital detonated, it was similar to a MOAB or small Nuclear Device in terms of power, and wiped out the entirety of Fourth Division. We'll find out the casualties next chapter. What do you think of this scene? Give me a shout and your opinion.**

 **Thanks for reading this, review, follow, favorite and share this about if you like it - the help it gives me immeasurable, and it makes me feel guiltier to let down more people, so it'll probably make me update faster. Just to sate you ravenous hordes. Beasts, the lot of you.**

 **PS - I had 99 followers at the start of the day. That's fallen to 98. Baby, come back.**

 **EDIT - There was a small error which I removed in this, nothing major, just a big bug bear. Sorry for getting your hopes up!**


	13. Chapter 13

As the dust began to settle, the shadow limped over to a wall and slumped, sliding down somewhat before regaining his balance and righting himself.

He'd screwed up. Monumentally. Not only did the plan to extract Rukia fail, but she'd gotten injured in the meantime - no one's fault, save from him. And now, he saw a distant crowd swarm towards the Hospital ruins.

Resolving to not let this farce go on any farther, he stumbled over to the crowd, where he slid into the sea of faces, disguising his limp and injuries with slight Kido, and disappeared into the masses.

* * *

When Ichigo regained consciousness, he opened his eyes, blinking away ash and rubble, to see an oppressive and monolithic black mushroom cloud fill the sky in front and above him. He sat in total numbing incomprehension, eyes roaming to the ruins of the buildings lining the road, buildings that used to house shinigami trying only to help other shinigami.

And some bastard killed them. Some fucker attacked the medics, attacked the weak, the undefended, the sick and injured.

Warring between grief and fury, he distantly heard a roaring of a crowd behind him.

Then they came out of the smoke – Rukia, bloodied and caked in ash, one arm - torn and ragged - bleeding profusely and hanging limp at her side.

"R-ukia…!" His voice was coarse and harsh, coughing up dust and ash, but she heard it all the same. Violet eyes in a soot-covered face locked with Ichigo's own, her face lighting up in joy.

He half limped, half crawled his way over to her, helping to drag her out of the ruined road. The two collapsed roughly against a half-collapsed wall by the side of the street.

"Ichi...go."

"..Yeah?"

"It's...the traitor...he did this..." The two were silent for a beat.

"How...how do you know?"

"He tried...to kidnap me. I managed...to slice him...across the chest." Ichigo was stunned. The traitor did this? To get to him? To try and get Rukia?

"Ha...hope it fucking kills him." The two fell back into the silence. "Did...Hitsugaya find...you?" She frowned.

"No. I hadn't seen...him since we...split up..." She looked up at him. "Why?"

"He went off...to find you." The two thought over the implications of this. "And he...was the one to...take us to the Hospital."

"And he's a Captain...had the income..."

"And the power...to cloak his reiatsu..."

"The power...to get the attention...of the Usurper..."

The two, eyes widening as they thought it over, glanced at the other, stunned.

"It's...him?"

The two gawked at one another, before their injuries caught up to them both. By the time the crowd had arrived, the two were unconscious.

* * *

"The two have been unconscious for a few hours now. They must leave tomorrow, else...well, you know already, Commander."

"Of course, Katsuo. Of course." Her steepled hands fell to the desk. "To think. A weapon, like tat, to kill the King. Unbelievable. What of the casualties?"

"Roughly a third of all evacuees died of their injuries, the others are in intensive care. Casualties to most Divisions are minimal - the maximum we believe at the moment is fifty, for Squad 11. However, Fourth..." His watery blue eyes closed, paunchy stomach warbling in sadness and anxiety.

"Yes?"

"Wiped out. Only 37 remain."

The oppressive silence, previously held at bay, crashed into the room.

"Very well. Thank you, Katsuo. Any information from Akio?"

"None, Ma'am."

"Very well." She turned from the desk, eyes roaming to the moon's reflection in the Kuchiki lake.

As a sign of loyalty, Byakuya had offered his house for their final days in Soul Society, an offer they accepted with gratitude. But this got her thinking - they'd thought he was the traitor. But they were wrong.

Were they? What if he was merely trying to shift the suspicion off of him? If not, who else could it be? Hitsugaya? The Captain had, at one point, been rather enamored with Lieutenant Rukia. - a relationship that was, if Byakuya was correct, entirely one sided. She's apparently to this day unaware that the now-Captain had held any attraction to her. Perhaps a motive? The Captain had most definitely seemed to be the most intimidated - perhaps the most disgusted? - by the King in the Captain's meeting. Definitely the means...and the opportunity, having gone with them into the Hospital...perhaps...

Perhaps it was that they were barking up the wrong tree. Could it be that someone else, most likely with an intimate knowledge of Forth Division, and thus knowledge where to place the explosive for the maximum effect and when to detonate it for the largest disruption, was the traitor? It would have been all to easy for someone lower in rank to slip a rumor around, one to ensnare the King and attract him to the Hospital. There were, of course, devices around that obfuscate Reiatsu, so it didn't necessarily have to be a Lieutenant or Captain. Similarly, they could have stolen the money required, or been given it by the Usurper. What about that Hanatarou boy? He knew Ichigo well from his time as a ryoka, but had fallen out of contact with him as of late. Perhaps the unassuming medic had an inferiority complex?

Or...maybe they were barking up just the right tree. Someone who had the means...had the motive...had the access...and the alibi.

What if it _was_ Akio? He was easily wealthy enough to afford it, could traverse the realms with ease, wasn't initially present at the Massacre - passing messages? - was young enough to not know the true power of the King and so would be easily converted to the enemy's side, and most damningly, was absent at the time of the attack. Easily, it could have been the crafting of an alibi - to prepare for the King's arrival - that gave him the proverbial blank cheque to scheme and plot and conspire as much as he liked, without the presence of his fellow Guardsmen.

"It's a bit suspicious, no?"

"Pardon, Commander?"

"That Akio left, just before the attack?"

"...Why yes. It is, somewhat."

He paused.

"If you will excuse me ma'am, I must now retrieve the Orihime girl, and execute the King's mission.

"Hmm...of course. Go ahead." He disappeared in a swirl of light.

She sat in the dark room alone, the only accompaniment being her brooding thoughts.

* * *

"Hey Rukia..." Renji stood at the foot of the makeshift cot, voice thick. "Jesus, you look torn up, heh? that explosion really did a number on you."

Byakuya stood stoically in the hallway, his own breathing labored and hitching.

"I swear to you. I will kill who did this to you. I will make him fucking _beg_." He uttered in a slow, quiet murmur. He placed his hand softly over his heart. "I swear."

Renji left, passing by the Captain Commander and Commander of the Royal Guard who were standing vigil at the door of Ichigo's room. He cast them a shaky bow and left before they could see the tears budding in his stoic eyes.

Byakuya walked into the room after him, and knelt down by her side.

He began to pray. Praying to the God that lay, battered and bruised, in the other room.

* * *

"So...Master...Chin, is it?" The oldest of two elderly men nodded. "If I may I ask without appearing rude, how old are you, exactly?"

The Royal Librarian chuckled. "Well Captain Commander, I was born roughly 25,000 years before you were born. However, there is no way to be sure, as calendars and the like didn't exist for many years after my birth." A liver spotted finger tapped a brown, drooped chin thoughtfully. "I would say I'm roughly 26 to 27 thousand years old."

The Captain Commander smiled into his tea, the reflection in the cup seeming much younger all of a sudden. "Thank you." Chin nodded in response.

The two sat at the foot of their King's bed - both on the floor. It wouldn't do to be sat on comfortable furnishings and the like while their King was in ill shape. The streaming tea seemed to cloud the roof of the room, glazing the room in a mystical sheen.

"I must ask, and I apologise if I appear too forward, but..." He stopped, sipped his tea and recollected his thoughts. "Commander Fujioka mentioned in passing on our watch together earlier this evening something about a massacre? May I ask, what happened?"

Chin's usual cheery disposition vanished. The face of the mildly senile grandpa vanished. A stony coldness replaced it.

"It is not my tale to tell." The Archiver put down his tea, and seemed to gesture that conversation was over, but he slowly thawed, body losing it's hard edge and face regaining some of the humanity that had slipped off. "Ah. But if I don't, you may never hear the tale. And it is...so important." He seemed to turn even frailer than his usual self - as though a slight breeze would carry him off. "Very well. I'll tell you. I'll tell the whole story."

* * *

 _It was a cold day, and the Sakura leaves were falling around in a halo._

 _It was an ordinary field training day - the Guardsmen and women were practicing, battling one another among the fallen cherry blossom._

 _The sounds of clashing swords resounded throughout the field. It snapped across the clearing and back again violently. But all in all, it was just an ordinary day in the King's Realm._

 _Perhaps it was this that should have set off alarm bells. There were no ordinary days in the Royal Realm - something was always happening, and as Chin and Chiyoko both watched, they thought in tandem that it was just too peaceful - too good._

 _They were right. It started with what must have been a previously agreed upon signal - Katsuo called out for the Guardsmen to move to the next activity, when a cry went out. By the blink of the eye, fifty of the Guardsmen lay bleeding, staining the pink leaves red. The proportion of traitors and backstabbing bastards, as opposed to loyal Guardsmen appeared to be approximately a quarter - That in and of itself was not the issue - rather, the fact that the field was suddenly swarmed with hundreds upon hundreds of the Usurper's loyalists._

 _It was a bloodbath - a massacre. After about thirty seconds, Akio arrived, just in time to witness the loyal guards get swarmed - overwhelmed - by the traitors and Usurper Loyalists. In the end, of the 400 or so Guardsmen and women that were there that day only 12 loyal (supposedly) King's Guards remained - Akio, Chiyoko and Katsuo included - and they'd held, however subconsciously, reservations ever since. Always thinking - did they only survive because they're meant to infiltrate whoever was left? Because they're a traitor?_

* * *

"It's a gruesome tale, but it is one of the main reasons why Chiyoko, Akio and Katsuo do not fully trust one another - they fear that the others only survived on the merits of being a traitor."

Yamamoto was stunned. No wonder they so easily accepted the possibility of a traitor - they'd already suspected that their comrades were traitors in the first place. Distrust had wormed its way into the King's Guard, long before news of a traitor has reach Seireitei's shores.

* * *

Chiyoko sat in the office, with her head in her hands. She'd received the current casualty count - 9302 missing and 2393 injured - 8503 missing and 213 injured from the Fourth versus 799 missing and 2180 from the other divisions.

It was devastating - many good men had been lost in the explosion from across Soul Society, and Fourth was nigh on non-existent now. The captain had survived, but the Lieutenant, seats three and four...the 8500 others...all missing, all assumed dead. Search teams were still scouring remains, just to find even the smallest scraps of people, or whatever was left, to push down the missing count. They'd all hoped to find a person alive in the rubble, but the chances of that were slim to none. Everyone knew it too.

Either way, the hunt for remains continued – not least of all, for Captain Hitsugaya – he'd been missing since the detonation, and no one wanted to admit a Captain had died – especially not the ones that he had evacuated from the hospital personally.

And yet, Chiyoko almost wished the boy was found dead. It would make her job easier – she still believed the boy could be a traitor, and his death would mean one of two things – either he was the traitor, and therefore the traitor would be taken care of, or the pool of potential traitors would have thinned. The possibility had occurred to her that he could have fled the detonation, faked his death in the huge explosion, and disappeared in the chaos of the crowds. No one would know, and his name would be cleared. Her head sank a little deeper into her palms.

She just had to hope that the boy was either found dead, or failing that, found alive, but so heavily injured that he would be kept under lock and key long enough for the Guards and the King (and his Consort, she thought with a start) to flee the realm. That way, the traitor would/could be isolated in Soul Society, if it were an ordinary shinigami, or she would know that the traitor was either Akio or Katsuo, since they were the only ones that could travel between the realms with ease. She refused to even acknowledge the idea that Chin could have been the traitor.

The explosion had, as most likely intended, crushed the very heart of the Soul Society - medical services were scattered around Soul Society randomly, and no one truly knew who to approach to get healed - two had already died from blood loss over at the Eleventh, just because they didn't know where to get medical attention. The fact of the matter was that the explosion had almost totally rocked Seireitei. No one knew how to respond.

But the anger was beginning to broil.

Even in the Captain's Meetings, hard eyes met steely glares, fingers twitching for blades and heart aching for violence. Every single Captain was slowly getting over the shock, the horror, and were becoming consumed by the anger. The sentiment echoed across Seireitei – it would take a few days (the King and the Guard would be gone by then) but the people of Seireitei, the shinigami who had lost their comrades, the warriors who had lost their friends and allies would start to demand retribution. Demand a criminal to blame, a person to kill. They would want their bloodlust sated, whether or not the man they got was the true traitor.

If they didn't, there would be riots. Soul Society would collapse under its own righteous fury. There would be revolution. There would be anarchy.

And judging by the look of Unohana's face in the Captain's meetings, she would lead it.

* * *

 **A.N - This chapter's a lot less action-packed, more fluffy, but I think it's critical that the underlying past of these characters are slowly released, why they distrust so easily their fellow comrades. Not only that, but I wanted to underline just how devastating that explosion was - by killing 4th, it's effectively destroyed Seireitei's ability to heal itself. Not only that, but I needed to show that the explosion had not only destabilised Seireitei through the damage it had done physically, but also socially - Soul Society is baying for blood, and if it doesn't get that blood, innocent or not, there will be hell to pay.**

 **So, please review - trust me, I do read them all - and continue to vote on that poll! I have 14 votes at the moment, come on lads. That last chapter got 700 views in the first day, you can do better than 14 ;)**


	14. Chapter 14

It was a light patter of rain that fell upon the windows of the Captain Commander's office. The mostly healed King and the aforementioned Captain sat across from one another. It would be the last time that either one would get to drink tea with the other - if not in forever, then at least not in a very long time.

Ichigo was feeling melancholy - thoughts of the explosion and fears for Rukia's safety in the King's Realm preyed on him. The feeling wasn't helped by the sadness he felt at leaving the man sat before him who had become some sort of grandfather figure to the young God.

The feeling was echoed - Yamamoto had been mostly silent, thinking about the boy in front of him and filled with concern about whether or not he would be okay in the King's Realm against the Usurper.

So the two sat in silence as the gate to the King's Realm was being prepared.

* * *

Rukia sat in the makeshift cot, bandages trailing across half of her face. In the quiet, filled only by her, Renji's, and Byakuya's breathing, she thought about Ichigo, about the insane story of his life, and how their chapters were about to be intermingled forever. If for a moment she felt anxious or even scared, she didn't admit it, not even to herself, before crushing it down.

Byakuya, however, had no qualms about recognising the fear that trailed up his spine. In a few hours, the girl that had become his sister, the girl he had sworn to protect, only to harm, would be gone. Possibly for good. He sat on the edge of the seat, head in his hands.

Renji echoed Byakuya's fears. He couldn't believe that Rukia was actually going to go with Ichigo to the King's Realm. It was much too dangerous - who knew what kind of danger she would face? He was much less concerned about Ichigo - while he did think about his upcoming challenges, he had known him for far too long, and seen him grow far too strong, to ever consider anything in the Realm a threat for the Ex-Berry, save perhaps for the guy who had taken over there. But Rukia didn't have that power. She didn't have that strength. He could only hope that she would come to her senses, and stay in Soul Society, before that gate closed.

* * *

The figure prowled around the building. He couldn't get to Rukia - not with her _ceremonial fucking guard_ stood by, and the gate was about to open. If he couldn't stop her from going into the King's Realm...there'd be hell to pay.

He didn't fully understand why the True King wanted Rukia out of the realm – probably something to do with having the Liar isolated and alone – but he agreed nonetheless. The King's Realm was a place that just wasn't fit for Rukia, she was too pure, too good for that realm.

Or at least, that realm as it was at the moment, with the traitorous remnants of the King's Guard fighting against the True King's command.

The figure growled, enraged at the lack of opportunity, and bade his time.

* * *

"Ma'am, the gate's almost open." Katsuo bowed, bags etched deep under his eyes.

"Thank you, Katsuo." The Commander hunched over the map – Akio had just returned. It appeared that the borders had changed once again.

The usurper's forces had managed to break another line of defense and captured a large city. Things were looking dire.

At least, they would be, if not for the True King's imminent return to the realm.

She sat back, maps and reports sprawled out in front of her. She was suddenly grateful for Akio's decision to head to the King's Realm before the King, even as suspicious as she was of his true motives – no, of everyone's true motives. He had brought back various reports written by the various heads of the King's Guard, and she could start drafting battle plans, tactical lines, lines to fortify, cities to raze…

It was a dirty business – war. Especially civil war. Of the thousands that lived in the King's Realm, the Usurper had managed to exert his poisonous control over more than three quarters of the populace, and over half of the nobility. And with the threat that came with battling a superior foe, every moment was critical, every decision vital, every square foot of land worth dying for.

And when the lines had been redrawn, and when land was inevitably lost, the enemy had to be denied the resources that were once afforded. Scorched Earth tactics – if you can't have it, no one could. Dirty, cold hearted, cruel. Razing cities as you fled, burning farms and homes as you retreated, collapsing mines and destroying defenses.

And up until this point, they had been doing a huge amount of that. Almost nothing but that. But with the King, with his arrival – or was it return? – to the realm, the King's Guard would finally be on the front foot, finally on the advance. She believed in him – not only in his strength, but his tactical and psychological importance. He would increase the flailing morale in her troops, and crush the enemy's.

She allowed herself thirty seconds of silence before standing, heading to retrieve the King.

* * *

White marble shone in the sun, the arch of the gate's smooth surface reflecting the sunlight, as though it was emanating light itself. The gap below the arch seemed to shimmer and wave, as though a transparent film was waving in an independent breeze.

There was a moment of silence where invisible runes on the surface of the arch glowed a deep blue, before the shimmering veil thickened, a deep blue staining in from the edges.

The gate was open.

The King's Realm awaited.

* * *

The pathway to the gate, sequestered in a small clearing just outside of Rukongai, was lined by the Captains. Leaves rustled, waves of sound lapping at the gather parties. The King's Guards stood at the gate, golden masks hiding them from the world. They stood stock still, like golems. Like statues. Save for Chin, who was waving somewhat enthusiastically for an old man, and breaking the mood somewhat.

Nevertheless, Ichigo felt very alone.

All of the captains were present – save, of course, from Hitsugaya - and focused on him. Some bowed with a look of deference (Ukitake and Soi Fon in particular), other met his eyes with an encouraging smile (Kyoraku and Yamamoto) and others met him with a long gaze – not exactly hatefully or angry, but just somewhat coldly – especially Unohana. She looked like hell barely held back by a rapidly fraying rope.

By his side, Rukia saw all of his emotions play across his eyes, though his face was closely guarded.

"You'll be fine." She smiled warmly at him. He met her eyes with a resigned gaze, and couldn't help but release a sigh.

Rukia herself felt the gravitas of the moment, the pressure of what was to follow, much more keenly – Ichigo had become nobility by pure merit of his heritage, and for years had no clue about nobility or politics. Rukia, however, as steeped in it for years. She could feel every eye, every searching look and every calculative glance. This wasn't something small – this was it. This would be the last time some of the captains would ever see their King. This was the moment that Ichigo abandoned Soul Society to fight a higher war.

That was unfair, but undoubtedly was what some thought.

Even in this most special of occasions, there was a stink in the air; the atmosphere felt stale, tense, as though there were more dangerous goings on just behind the scenes, schemes being plotted and written out even as they walked towards the gate. But she wasn't going to be intimidated - Ichigo needed her support, so she'd brave the stifling atmosphere.

She brought herself to her full – albeit, still short – height, and walked with her head held high, stood beside her best friend and closest companion. And King, she supposed.

Yamamoto stood watching the pair with a gentle smile, but worried eyes. He truly did worry for the young girl by Ichigo's side. Not for her will, since he knew that her will was nigh on indomitable, especially when with Ichigo. It was the fact that she would be used against him, a way to attack the King, and despite her considerable strength, there was in truth very little that would be able to stop an attack from Royal Guards, traitors or not.

His mind, however, was not calm, and was pulled in other directions - mainly towards the brewing unrest centered around Unohana. She was hellish. She was enraged. She was...

She was right to be so. At times, he wondered if he was so jaded that nothing truly phased him anymore. In his younger years, in his blessed youth, he would have raged, campaigned, started a godforsaken inquisition to find those responsible and make an example of them in the most demonstrative way possible. Now, he sat back. he waited. It felt less like war and more like chess. No, not even that. Like tic tac toe. As if it was inconsequential, as if it didn't matter that over 8000 people - innocent, helpful people, had lost their lives to a madman's campaign. It felt as if it was just the prelude. As if things were still to come.

he just hoped and prayed the Unohana would calm. Even though he understood her pain, he wouldn't allow it to harm Soul Society. That would do more damage than the blast itself.

* * *

The figure sat in wait behind the foliage, reiatsu cloaked, eyes roaming across the clearing. It had been a bitch to follow the captains, but he was finally ready to pounce.

The trap, however, had already been set.

It didn't he supposed, matter if Rukia had managed to step into the King's Realm - he had every intention of going there himself, and the little surprise that he had managed to concoct would be enough to debilitate the Liar by her side, and get back to safety, back to Soul Society.

It was time to strike.

* * *

They finally stood at the threshold. Chiyoko bowed, taking the knee, and the rest of the gathered individuals followed.

"My King. It is time to return to the Ō No Rerumu. We would be honored to escort you and your escort through the veil, and onto the Imperial Palace beyond."

She neglected the amount of fighting that would have to take place to get there, but hey ho. Ichigo repeated the lines taught to him, as dictated by tradition.

"I accept your escort, and thank you for my welcome." It was a stupid idea, he thought, since there had only ever been one King before him, and the ceremonies were acted every time he went to Soul Society. No wonder why he stopped after a while - Ichigo may have grown more accustomed to the pomp and circumstance that he had to endure, but there was only so much arbitrary crap that one had to sit through before having enough. God only knew how much the old King had to suffer.

He turned and waved towards the captains, especially Yamamoto, and nodded. "The best of luck to you all. Try and find Hitsugaya. I'm sure he's still alive. And you'll do just fine taking care of the traitor." He grinned widely. "I'm rooting for you."

Turning back around, he felt a small hand slip over his own. A serene smile slipped across his face, and the Royals stepped through the barrier.

Thinking on it, since the King could just walk across the worlds, why did he even use the gate?

* * *

Now!

The figure pounced, bounding through the trees and, and, and...

Ha! They'd not even looked! They'd not even noticed! The bloody fools were already turning to leave, and hadn't waited until the gate was fully off!

The color of the veil was beginning to leach out, once again from the sides. It took one well placed jump and...

Fuck.

 ** _Fuck!_**

* * *

Yamamoto and the other captains were already leaving, preparing to begin the investigation in earnest, no more fooling about. None of them thought that the gate would let anyone else in, but Yamamoto saw, in the corner of his eye, a flit of black towards the veil. He span, a millisecond too late, to see the gate close.

The captains all rushed, blades drawn and reiatsu flaring, towards the gate. It was totally empty. Save for one thing - a foot, severed completely and cleanly. It must have been out when the portal had closed, and the traitor - he assumed that it was the traitor's - had had his foot closed on.

A small bit of bitter joy rolled through Yamamoto at this - the vile creature may have managed to beat them all, but he'd not escaped scot free. He looked up at the captains who gazed in apprehension and barked orders.

"All of you, to your Divisions! Search every man and woman. Anyone missing, or anyone who has lost a foot, is to be immediately branded as a traitor, and a list is to be sent to me that I can then send on to the King's Realm. Am I understood?" They all nodded, fearful of the consequences of their lack of perception, but no mention of it was made, just the order. They each felt blessed.

"Unohana, Kurotsuchi. Examine the foot. Fine out whatever you can." He felt, suddenly and unexpectedly, the fire to light in his belly once again. He was angry. He had scribbled across the tic tac toe game, flipped the chessboard, and now was ready, once again, to go to war.

"We have this bastard now. I don't care if Soul Society must be upturned to find him - he will be found."

* * *

 **A.N - I live, I promise! Jesus, been a while, eh? Sorry about the lack of updates, I truly am. I could make platitudes about work (which I have a lot of) and other commitments (which I'm drowning in, oh God help) but I won't. I'll just leave this chapter here, and start on the next one, mkay?**

 **By the by, the results for the polls have kept coming in, and are very... intriguing. I'll not divulge the results, but they are very peculiar. Indeed.**

 **So yeah, the traitor got through, and has cooked a special surprise for our heroes. But he lost a foot. And Yamamoto's finally regained that fire that once drove him. he hasn't gone back to nigh-on homicidal madman, but he's a lot more determined now. I like Yamamoto, I try and write him like a doddery old grandpa that fought in WWII, and is an actual badass.**

 **Nevertheless, I love you all for sticking with my terrible upload schedules, and I promise, more will be up. The story isn't dead folks! Love you all.**

 **Don't forget to review, favorite, and follow the story if you want to see more where this came from.**

 **While I'm here, I'd like to announce a small competition for the design of the King's Realm as a map. I have a vague idea in my mind, but if any of you have any mapmaking skills, I would love to see your interpretation of the King's Realm. You don't have to be particularly artistic, just have a cool idea and share it. I believe in you. Not you, Steve. You're a cock. Not you, Steve, other Steve. Yeah, you. Cock.**

 **3 to my reviewers, especially Spirit of the Black Wolf. You've been great bro, reviewing frequently and from the start, and always telling me what you think frankly. You are great, and so is everyone else that takes time out of their day to both read, and write about my little ficcy here. I love you all.**


End file.
